The Shawlers' house is furnished with Chinese antiques and art. The children have dolls, jewelry and paintings that came from the village where Avery was born. They are proud of their heritage, but Shawler recently tried an experiment to see how comfortable they felt sharing it with American schoolmates. I threw some chop sticks in their lunch bag. Shawler, however, said she is mindful not to push too hard.
Many children adopted from other countries attend local schools that teach language and culture.
About 50 children ages 5 to 18 attend the Chinese School in St. Petersburg that meets on Sunday afternoons at St. Petersburg Catholic High School. Some of the children have a parent from China and some are adopted by Americans. The school concentrates on language but also teaches dance, music, history and other culture. Along with play groups and potluck dinners, the local chapter of Families With Children From China organizes celebrations for Chinese New Year, a dragon boat festival and a moon festival. The larger events draw as many as 185 children and parents.