This entry was written by someone named Asa, posting on the Adoptive Parents - China yahoogroup. This is a frequently contentious space, as you'd expect from any large group that attracts both conservative Christians and bleeding-heart nonconformists.
It's no surprise that this piece has sparked off a major controversy.

I think it's very important.

Before I adopted, I was obligated to have several meetings with the social worker for the homestudy. We discussed many topics, including how I was going to develop my daughter's identity as a woman. I had always planned to continue living in a male commune.

There is a private school here, and while all of the students are boys, the academic program is excellent. There is also an occasional woman or two, so I feel like my daughter will be able to see other females like herself.

But of course, my social worker wanted to know how I was going to assist in developing my daughter's female identity.

So when I told him that I was planning on joining Men with Female Children from China, he was quite pleased. The men there have also been raised in all-male settings, so other men from the commune feel comfortable there and like the group a lot. The social worker said that he is very familiar with the program and it would be great for helping my daughter learn about her identity as a woman.

Among other things, the men in the group read books about women and even some written by women. The members try to learn as much as possible about female culture. They then hold events that celebrate girls and women and being a female. This will teach my daughter a lot about being a female. And of course, my daughter will be able to learn from associating with all those other little girls raised in all-male households.

I also have a woman acquaintance.

Of course, I have some concerns still. I know that my daughter will
probably be teased at school. I'll just tell her to toughen up.

After all, I grew up in an all-boy environment and I think it's ideal. And everybody is teased sometimes. Maybe the boys won't want to play with her. But I imagine she'll be able to work it out. She could probably just become tomboyish, and that would solve a lot of her problems. Maybe if she dresses like a boy and acts like a boy, people will accept her as a boy.

The magazines, childrens' books and videos at the commune reflect only male faces. I'll have to try to buy a book or two with some women in it. On the commune television, women are only one percent of the featured players on prime-time. They are typically in roles such as homemakers and secretaries. This is pretty typical for woman, anyway.

But I tell my daughter she can choose any career she wants and that the sky is the limit.

Sometimes I forget my daughter is a female. I tell her I think of her just like any other normal child ... like a boy.

peace,
asa

He followed this post a day later with this list of links. I'm already familiar with the first two (and have been recommending Trenka's blog to pretty much everyone I know).

* Jane Jeong Trenka, the Language of Blood
http://languageofblood.com/

* The transracial abductee website:
http://www.transracialabductees.org/
Asa: (I especially relate to "A bunch of culturally
incompetent backtalk")

* Loss and Reclaimed Lives:
http://jps.k12.mi.us/~meier/koreanadoption.htm

* Adoptees' perception of international adoption:
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/proed/korfindings.html