Reuniting twins and cultural disjunctions

Book episode!

What happens when a policy meant to shape a nation reaches into the most intimate corners of a family’s life? Journalist Barbara Demick'sDaughters of the Bamboo Grove becomes a prism for a China where babies vanish, families fracture, and two identical lives grow up worlds apart. One twin speaks Mandarin, the other English. One hides in a bamboo grove; the other lands in Texas. Demick joins The Jacob Shapiro Show to explore the lives shaped, and misshaped, by China's restrictive one-child policy. Shapiro and Demick probe the emotional aftershocks of separation, the uneasy collision of two cultures when twins are reunited across continents, and the moral ambiguity of institutions that believed they were doing the right thing.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Introduction

(00:46) - Discussing the Book: Daughters of the Bamboo Grove

(02:04) - Barbara's Journey and Discoveries in China

(05:15) - The Impact of China's One-Child Policy

(11:28) - Adoption and Family Planning in China

(21:21) - Cultural and Demographic Shifts in China

(25:35) - Cultural Juxtaposition of Twins

(26:35) - Impact of COVID on US-China Relations

(27:35) - Adoption and Diplomatic Relations

(28:31) - Challenges for Chinese and American Families

(30:57) - Adoptees as Cultural Ambassadors

(32:02) - Religious Influences in Adoption

(34:42) - Economic Comparisons Between Families

(39:18) - Psychological Trauma of Adoptees

(45:13) -Author's Career and Future Projects

(50:27) - Upcoming Book on Berlin

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Referenced in the Show:

Barbara Demick - https://www.barbarademick.com/

Daughters of the Bamboo Grove - https://www.barbarademick.com/book/daughters-of-the-bamboo-grove/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

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The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

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Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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