As a unique diaspora community that has been involuntarily and forcefully displaced, Chinese transracial adoptees (TRAs) are often fragmented across the United States. Traversing borders, cultures, and races, their identities exist within a perpetual in-betweenness, as they must negotiate the meanings of their Chineseness, Chinese Americanness, and adopteeness. When identity and place are misaligned, a lack of belonging can be felt. Due to recent events, this diaspora group is placed in a vulnerable position as they navigate finding agency, resilience, and belonging in places that may be or become unwelcoming.

Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship regarding identity, belonging, and placemaking, I examined the liminality of their identities and places, focusing on the role of storytelling and spatial memory in shaping their experiences.