“As a Chinese adoptee, Danielle feels that she can contribute uniquely as a cultural ambassador [in Taipei], being an Asian-American who grew up entirely culturally American, as opposed to an American-born Chinese who grew up with more exposure to Asian culture.”
I last spoke to Danielle in July of 2020. At that time, she was still in undergrad studying chemistry, biology, and global health, and we were only a few months into the global pandemic. Since then, Danielle has graduated and moved all the way from Phoenix, AZ to Taipei, Taiwan.
Currently, Danielle is a Fulbright Scholar pursuing her Master’s in global health at National Taiwan University. When asked about her interest in global health, Danielle says that COVID-19 definitely played a role. Having entered undergrad with the plan to solely be pre-med, Danielle shifted her focus towards global health after taking an introductory course in the field. She’s drawn towards its potential to impact and improve the quality of life for whole populations around the world compared to one patient at a time. Her long-term plan is still medicine and perhaps working for a governmental organization like the WHO or CDC.
Naturally, I was curious about Danielle’s experience abroad. Since being adopted, this is Danielle’s first time back in Asia. She says that one of the biggest shocks when she first arrived was being surrounded by so many people that looked like her. Danielle speaks animatedly about her experience thus far. Not only has it been a fantastic opportunity, but it has widened her perspective beyond the U.S. – and so much so that Danielle could see herself living abroad again. A large emphasis of the Fulbright program is cultural exchange. As a Chinese adoptee, Danielle feels that she can contribute uniquely as a cultural ambassador, being an Asian-American who grew up entirely culturally American, as opposed to an American-born Chinese who grew up with more exposure to Asian culture. As for the language aspect, Danielle studied Chinese throughout high school and a few semesters in university, so she tries to meet and speak with as many locals as she can on a daily basis.
Danielle came across CCI in 2019 and even started the CCI Local Meet-Ups chapter in Phoenix during that time. She is grateful for the friends she has made through CCI and the adoptee community, so while in Taiwan, she hopes to further connect the Chinese adoptee community through starting a CCI Taipei chapter.
Humans of CCI profiled on Facebook in 2023.