(title taken from http://confessions-of-an-adoptee.tumblr.com)
There is so much I can say on this topic. Luckily I went to a very diverse school, too lucky actually. I had this exact problem going through high school. Every damn year we would get exchange students from China. While they only stayed for two weeks at a time, it stung every time they came. I would get asked by them, "Why you don't speak Chinese?" or when I started to learn Chinese they would ask, "Why is it so bad?" (Hey I was trying!) And then I would tell them I was adopted. "Oh.." they would say. Some would just leave it at that. Others, well they would be confused.
I had one girl say, "Wait that happens? I thought it was just on dramas?!" She was 16. She went on to tell me how she only really saw it on Chinese dramas. She didn't think once that it was real. That children (mostly baby girls) were abandoned. I was shocked at first then I realized, it's probably a subject that gets pushed under the rug. That's probably why she was so surprised. Which I can see why. China has given up so many baby girls that it's embarrassing. They have about a 10:1 ratio of boys to girls. (That's what you get China for giving us up!)
As high school went on, there were some Chinese students who stayed longer than two weeks. Either they had moved to the US or were on a longer exchange. I remember one girl I met, she had two other siblings besides her. An older sister and a younger brother. Boy did I feel the jealous. I remember having to smile through it all and say that it was cool she had siblings. But deep down I kept thinking, "It's not fair!!! Why did her family keep her? AND her sister? Why couldn't mine keep me??"
Even to this day, I have this thought every time I see a Chinese mother and daughter (Chinese-American or not). I think it will always be a part of my thinking. It's a huge why in my life that may never have a "because".
(note: the photo used is a stock image)