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Identity crisis after girl's custody battle

By Tan Yingzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-01 10:17

Anna Mae He, the center of a much-publicized 7-year custody battle in the Unites States, has spent a difficult year making the transition from an American upbringing to her ancestral home.

Since coming to China in February last year, the 11-year-old girl has been struggling with the dramatic changes in her life, which also included the recent divorce of her biological parents, He Shaoqiang and Luo Qin.

Anna Mae He (left in the front) with her mother Luo Qin and two siblings Andy and Avita. Photos by Ma Yong [China Daily]

Shortly after Anna Mae's birth in the US, He and Luo ran into financial and legal difficulties and signed over a temporary custody order to an American couple, Jerry and Louise Baker.

The little girl lived with the Bakers for eight years, watching American TV, going to a typical American school, eating American food and in every way, being brought up like an average American girl.

The Bakers tried to adopt the child, despite her parents' objections, but in July 2007, the Chinese couple finally regained legal custody of their daughter. Anna Mae's father brought the family to China in February last year after his student visa expired and the custody issues were resolved. The family of five first settled in Changsha, Hunan province, He's hometown.

A few months later, the family was torn apart by the tough reality of re-entry and the endless disputes between the couple. Last June, Luo secretly took the three children back to her hometown, Chongqing. The couple divorced in December.

Related readings:  It's a family affair, period.  Chinese couple regain custody of daughter  Girl in US back in custody of Chinese parents  Girl, 8, back with Chinese parents

Since then, the three children have been attending boarding school and only come home at weekends to the two-bedroom apartment Luo has been using with the support of her father and brother.

The adjustment has been difficult for Anna Mae, who is clearly uncomfortable speaking Chinese and dislikes eating Chinese food. She speaks only English to her family members and keeps silent at the private bilingual school, where she is in the third grade. She had to stay behind a year because of her poor Chinese.

Anna clings to her mother more than her two siblings, 8-year-old Andy and 6-year-old Avita, both of whom speak good Chinese and seem to be quite happy in China.

Avita, who is easygoing and an extrovert, stays in the same dorm as Anna Mae to help her communicate with other children. "We know she can speak Chinese but she rarely talks to us," says Anna Mae's roommate, Fang Xingyuan. "But we still like her and share our snacks with her."

Anna Mae's teachers let her sit in the front row in class. She was even allowed to finish the essay portion of a Chinese exam in English.

Jiang Ximin, a nanny who cared for Anna at school, says she is a very sensitive little girl, who needs extra care and attention. "She could not use chopsticks when she first came here and ate very little Chinese food," Jiang says. "We were so worried and tried many ways to find a good diet for her. Now she can eat properly but still no spicy food."

Luo has gotten a job as an insurance agent for an international company. "I don't think I will get married again," she says. "Now my life is all about my children."

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