The imperceptible steps to 'becoming Chinese'

More than two decades after a photograph of five blonde foreign children entering a local primary school in Dongguan, Guangdong province, appeared on the front page of the Yangcheng Evening News, one of them has returned to the public eye.

Adrianna Rommeswinkel, a 29-year-old content creator known as Addy, was 6 when she arrived in the country in 2002, just a year after China joined the World Trade Organization.

For her, feeling like she belonged in China did not emerge from a single moment. "That feeling grew into my bones… through so many small, unremarkable moments," she said.

That process unfolded through everyday experiences that gradually reshaped her sense of home. One vivid early memory Rommeswinkel has is of her and her siblings joining classmates in morning exercises. "That's the thing about belonging, when you're in it, you don't notice. You just are," she said.

Over time, belonging became rooted less in physical places than in relationships. She recalls being quietly comforted at her best friend's home as a child.

"My godmother took one look at me and put a bowl of soup in front of me. Didn't ask questions. Just… soup," she said.

Even today, she remembers the landline telephone number of that family and still returns to the neighborhood market where vendors recognize her and recall her childhood preferences.

Her understanding of "becoming Chinese" extends beyond language. While her fluency in Cantonese and Mandarin is the most obvious aspect, she points to the deeper meanings embedded in everyday interactions.

"Language isn't just words. It's the jokes you get, that you learn from years of sitting at dinner tables, listening, absorbing," she said, noting that even her dreams are sometimes in Cantonese.

These experiences were accompanied by shifts in habits and values, from everyday politeness to understanding social connections through relationships.

Growing up in a Chinese school system also shaped her worldview, as the classes emphasized collective identity rather than individual focus.

"You don't really exist as just 'you'. You exist as part of something… fitting in, contributing, being reliable, that's what mattered," she said, noting that this perspective ultimately felt "freeing".

Cultural contrasts still arise, particularly when she is in the United States, but her response upon returning to China is telling."Every time I land in China, every single time, there's this moment when I step out of the airport and the air hits me. The humidity, the smell, the noise, the chaos. And my whole body just… relaxes," she said.

Reflecting on her parents' decision to raise the family in China, Rommeswinkel said:"That choice gave me something I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. It gave me two worlds instead of one. It wasn't easy. But it was everything."

Today, when asked where she is from, her answer is simple. For her, identity is no longer defined by nationality alone, but by lived experiences.

"I grew up in China… that's the most important part, where I became me. My roots aren't in a passport or a bloodline. They're in the life I actually lived," she said.