© Stephanie & Chris Emmett - Original negatives from the first day I was adopted. I refure back to these photographys a lot in my work.

It is very important that you understand where I come from, for my work is autobiographical. I don't let the past be an excuse for my future, but I do feel that the question of where we come from can help us understand ourselves now.

I was born in 1982 in Hong Kong. My birth mother was a Vietnamese refugee boat-person that fled to Hong Kong after the Vietnam War. She was staying in a refugee camp when I was born. I was given up at birth. The social workers told my adopted parents she was very lucky to be given the chance to emigrate to America, for only a few refugees were given this opportunity. Also she already had a son when I was born. She felt that she couldn't go to a new country not knowing how to speak English as her first language while having very little money as well having a new born baby to top it all off. So I was lucky to be fostered straight away by a British family. My foster family gave me a nickname, Jessica Jane (JJ). After a year another British family who was living in Hong Kong at the time, the Emmett's, adopted me. From that day I was known as Jessica Jane Emmett.

I lived in Hong Kong for sixteen years, and then emigrated to the UK with my adopted parents and my sister in 1998. Many people ask me if we left Hong Kong because of the handover but the actual reason is that my adopted parents had lived in Hong Kong for about 30 years and felt that they wanted to move back closer to relatives and live in their own homeland again. While living in HK I lived in very expatriate life, English speaking schools & friends etc. so i sadly can't speak Chinese.

My birthmother gave me a name when I was born, LE Bich-Hoong. Le being the last name and Bich-Hoong meaning pink rose (I'm told). My birthmother's name was Lê Thi Lan, which means pretty orchid. I have recently found out that the spelling of my given name may have been the Chinese spelling. My birth name is the only thing my birthmother gave me and I treasure it even if it is not my current name.

For most of my life I felt that being adopted had no effect on me whatsoever for I've had a very happy life and good adoption experience. I consider my adopted parents fully as my mum and dad. I didn't look at my birth certificates until the a few years ago even though my parents always said it was in the drawer and I could look at it at any time. It was only when I was 20yrs old when I properly examined my adoption papers. After looking at them I realised that subconsciously it had affected me all my life, even if only in a small ways. My parents have always been honest with me about my origins and have always said they would help me search. I have tried once to look for my birthmother but due to privacy laws I was unable to find out the information further than Hong Kong, which I fully understand and respect. One day I will try again. See [ADOPTION] work.

I have becoming increasing involoved with adoption orginisations and have meet some fantastic families in my quest to understand adoption. This is a very exciting time for me.

"People are always telling me that I am brave to 'expose' myself in the way I do. I don't agree. When you act in the light of knowledge which is in your own self-interest or in the interests of your group or class, this is not bravery but absolute necessity.” (Jo Spence 1986)