Adoption

In America, we see a lot of Chinese or Asian children adopted by American couples. It looks like very common here.

But if we traced back to the history before the communist one-child-one-family policy, it was very common in China, too.

Actually, adopting boys was the most common practice. And my brother-in-law's father was an adopted child.

For rich people, they usually adopt one child within the family in order to keep the blood line.

For the poor people, they sometimes adopt within the family like the rich. Sometimes, they adopt from somewhere, such as friends, children trafficking and so forth.

You may think that all the adopted children will have the father's last name. Not really......Some women from the privileged families would like to keep their families' names, especially if there were no boys in the youngest generation. Then, these adopted children will bear the last names of the mothers.

In conclusion, it is all about the succession of the families.