A NIA HOUSE ALUMNI STORY

XinXin was born in China, adopted by a family here in the Bay Area and joined the Nia House community at 3 years old. Now a sophomore in college, XinXin shares her beautiful life story.

BACKGROUND STORY: CHILDHOOD & FAMILY LIFE

My name is XinXin (鑫鑫) Fromson-Ho. My American name is Anna, but everyone calls me Annie. I am 19 years old, and I live in Kensington, California.

As an adopted child, I have always felt that I have two families: one in the United States & one in China. My adopted family consists of my mother, father, and older sister. My family is at the center of my life- it is what keeps me grounded. I grew up in a biracial family and have been influenced by both Chinese and Western European culture.

Chinese New Year has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have distinctive memories of past celebrations, where generations of my family would come together, sometimes almost 100 of us for one exciting evening of storytelling and delicious food.

When I was a child, I was very shy and timid. Throughout elementary school, I was bullied in school which lowered my self-confidence. Despite this, my childhood has some of my most fond memories. Some of my favorite memories are:

Playing with my sister everyday afterschool
Sunday afternoon lunches at my family’s favorite Chinese restaurant, King Wah in Oakland Chinatown
Weekend pancake breakfasts
Saturday visits from my nai nai (奶奶)
Waking up early every day to practice my cello before school.
Car rides back and forth to San Francisco for cello lessons.

EDUCATIONAL PATH

Nia House taught me how to become an independent thinker and learner who is conscious of my outside environment.

Now, I am a sophomore at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. I am an intended international studies major and education minor with a concentration in community and global health. I have always loved learning and school has been one of my happy places. At Macalester, I am challenged through difficult coursework, encouraged to collaborate with classmates and given the opportunity to study under renowned professors. I chose Macalester for undergraduate study because its values and commitment to students resonated my own values and academic aspirations.

MAKING MUSIC

Nainai 奶奶 was a cellist while living in Shanghai, and always wanted one of her grandchildren to continue playing the instrument. I actually wasn’t given a choice between the cello and another instrument; I was handed when I was 4 years old.

I view the cello as my connection to my 奶奶. I have fond memories of her teaching me different repertoire ad playing duets with me. She also comes to all of my concerts (at least the ones she can make) which is the most special part.

I also was a member of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir flagship group, Ensemble.

Music is one of the key pillars of my identity. I believe that music has extraordinary powers to heal and inspire others.

What’s beautiful about music is that it is universal, and it has no boundaries or limitations.

I love performing the most since it is the one chance for me to share my deepest emotions. When I perform, it is an opportunity for me and my listeners to escape the outside world and enter an alternate world of peace and beauty.

Like any skill/job, being a musician is difficult. It requires an immense amount of practice and patience. The journey is not smooth. There are always going to be bumps in the road, but I have learned to persevere and develop confidence that I can achieve my goals. I have also learned not to doubt myself- even after 15 years of playing the cello, I still get as nervous before a concert as I did when I was 4 years old. Over time, I have learned to trust my ability.

LIFE GOALS

As short term goals, to graduate college feeling confident in the knowledge and skills obtained from my undergraduate studies and to seek opportunities to teach abroad post-graduate.

To visit my orphanage in China and reunite with my caretaker whom I have recently reconnected with after 17 years. Here’s the story: https://onesky.org/the-red-thread-reuniting-xinxin-and-her-mama-xiaorong/
To continue my journey of self-identity and to explore options for searching for my biological parents.
In the long-term, to give back to the communities that aided me when I was younger. As an adoptee, I believe that it’s my duty to give back to younger adoptees and to help them through the journey of self-discovery.
To think of pursuing a career in either teaching or working with youth worldwide through an NGO .

PASSIONS

I really enjoy cooking and baking, staying active (swimming and running are my two favorites), and traveling. I also am passionate about learning new languages!

xinxin