Joy Frederich is a Chinese adoptee, born in Jiangxi, China, and currently living in Los Angeles, by way of Boston, Kentucky, New Jersey and Maine. Joy recently completed a Masters at Fuller Seminary in Intercultural Studies with a focus in Development and Urban Studies. When she isn’t at a spin class, she’s likely either listening to live music, spending time with her family in the LA area, hiking, reading or writing. You can learn more about her adoptee journey at joyfrederich.com.

Seeing Deeply
Looking Beyond Perceived Identity
By Joy Frederich

It was a cold Shanghai winter day. My roommate Erika and I were on our way to dinner at Xintiandi when a raucous group of middle-aged Chinese men reeking of cigarette smoke boarded the train.