Red Thread Families
Red Thread Families exists to help families that adopted children from China keep their kids’ birth culture central to their lives. We host events for families with children from China and connect adoptive families to broader events and other programs at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center.
The first wave of children adopted by Tucson families began in the early 1990s. In 1995 a local mom started an informal group that met for the first time at Chinese New Year, with eight children attending. The group met twice a year and eventually affiliated with a national group called FCC - Families with Children from China. The Tucson chapter, So. AZ FCC, held a summer culture camp, pool parties, Red Egg and Ginger parties to welcome new arrivals and an annual Autumn Moon Festival gathering. The Panda Club paired young kids with members of the Asian fraternity and sorority at the University of Arizona for crafts and fun.
Adoptions from China started declining in the mid-2000s as laws surrounding international adoption got stricter. Also, adoption became more common and accepted within China, offering children in need of families the opportunity to be adopted within their birth country. Adoptions from China stopped at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 and have yet to restart.
Around 2000, So. AZ FCC members voted to disband their group and affiliate with the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center. Our group still holds our annual Autumn Moon Festival gathering and many of our children are involved in TCCC programs such as Lion Dance and Chinese School.
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