Made in China
BBC SoundsBorn in China, raised in the UK, Eva Brookes asks how transracial adoption has shaped her.
Found in China as a newborn and adopted by a white British family 13 months later, Eva grew up in Essex feeling British. But that's not always how other people perceived her.
For most of her life, Eva didn't ask how that impacted her. She just tried to fit in - as a child, that felt safer than standing out. Now, she wants to understand how her experience as a transracial adoptee has shaped her understanding of herself today.
In this series, Eva explores the political, cultural and social forces that impacted her life and the lives of millions of Chinese girls like her; re-visits memories of her childhood, school and family life in the UK; and explores how to connect with her birth culture today.
Through conversations with her adoptive parents and sister, fellow adoptees, journalists, academics and other experts, Eva explores what determines who we become - and how to understand ourselves when parts of our story are missing.
Writer, producer and presenter: Eva BrookesExecutive Producer: Peggy SuttonSound Designer & Mix Engineer: Jeff EmtmanArtwork: Ellie WalmsleyAssistant Commissioner: Prabhjit BainsCommissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer
Made in China is a Reduced Listening Production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab.
- No. of episodes: 5
- Latest episode: 2026-02-10
- Society & Culture Documentary Personal Journals
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