"Returning to China really transformed my journey of self discovery into one of healing and self love. That is why I am so excited to be apart of this and being able to share my story to others.”
If you pause to ask Xiaowen–known to her friends by her middle name, Lacey– about her tattoo, you would be in for a fascinating story. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Lacey traces her origins to a small alleyway in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. Adopted a little before the age of three, she was able to return to her birth city of Hangzhou–and the very alley in which she was found–a couple years ago.
Lacey’s trip to China was an incredibly impactful experience. Not only was she able to visit her orphanage, but she was shown around by her foster family, including sister Shirley and her husband, and Shirley’s niece QQ. Later, she visited the police station where she was taken as an infant. To her surprise, Lacey met the very police officer who found her! Not yet done with reunions, Xiaowen (meaning small and proud), was taken to the very location she was found and was remembered by a local resident, who recalled the way everyone talked about the abandoned baby near her complex. Rounding out this emotional day, Lacey and her friends went out that night to explore all the night markets and events. This day remains a core memory for Lacey, who recounts feeling teary as her foster family talked about missing her and wondering how she was doing throughout the time since they last saw her. Not only that, but Lacey enjoyed some delicious home cooked meals by her foster mother.
The trip to her birth city is one that continues to inspire Lacey, as she has since taken up Chinese language classes. This pastime joins her other passions of fitness and expressing her creativity through contemporary dance, piano, and cooking. If you were to ask Lacey about her tattoos, you would find that one depicts the police badge of the officer that found her as an infant, and another displays the Chinese characters of her birth province (浙江省). Being an adoptee was an identity that was sometimes uncomfortable and embarrassing for Lacey growing up, but she has been learning to embrace it more and more since her trip. She advises younger adoptees not to water down their experiences and feelings around adoption. This aligns with Lacey’s mindset that one must be uncomfortable to be comfortable. Put another way, in order to experience true change, one has to step out of their comfort zone.
Humans of CCI profiled on Facebook in 2025.