When it comes to interracial adoption, I have mixed views because I see this very touchy. I am not only referring to White families adopting Black children, but any “minority” child adopted by a White family.
What I appreciate is that a family is acting selflessly by taking in a child that needs to be loved & cared for. These families most often seem to be better equipped and patient to deal with the child’s needs. Most importantly, most adopting families have a scratch.
What I have concerns with are cultural & intra-racial issues that may not be understood by a White person, no matter how aware they think they are. Example: like White parents being able to deal with racism in terms of explaining it to their child when the time comes & why the child is different. I often wonder if adopting families educate the child about their own culture & expose them to people/groups/activities that can help them understand themselves & embrace their own heritage etc. Although the child may be removed from their “cultural” environment, I think it is important for them to be proud of “their” culture and heritage etc.
Minotity adults that I am familiar with who were adopted by White families tell me that they have no real connection with their culture because they were not exposed, so they have to seek out information as an adult. Some have mentioned that they are/were not upset with their adopting families for holding back information because they think that the parents did not withhold deliberately.
I find the topic of international adoption interesting because I think it’s great to save kids around the world from poor conditions but what about saving kids here at homehome. I am not sure of the statistics but, there are so many children within our borders that need the love of a welcoming family; Black, Yellow, Red, Brown & White.
In the spotlight is Agelina Jolie who adopted 2 children first her Cambodian son Maddox & most recently her Ethiopian daughter Zahara. One of my associates recently commented that she did not like the way Brad Pitt carried Zahara around like a little monkey & my associate stated that she thinks that the Agelina & Brad adoption thing is just for show. I have not seen Brad carrying the girl so I will not speak on that piece but I will say that I think the couple seems legit (even though Brad dogged Jennifer out).
While I do have mixed felling about interracial & or international adoption, the bottom line is that there is one less child in the world suffering. After all they say love is color blind!?!
I found the story below today, which inspired my rant: enjoy!
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As more white Americans adopt Africans, experts point out social realities
By: Nara Schoenberg
Chicago – The youngest of seven children, 1-year-old Safia Lindholm-Nimrod knows how to steal the spotlight.
First, she monopolizes her mother with grins and giggles. Then, she focuses her chubby-cheeked smile on her father, demanding – and receiving – the biggest and longest hug when he comes through the door at the end of the day.
Finally, she lands in the arms of her sister Ella Lindholm-Uzzi, 11, who twirls her until she squeals with joy.
None of this would be terribly remarkable, except that Safia has only known these people for two months.
Born in a thatch-roofed hut in Ethiopia , placed in an orphanage by a single mother who couldn’t afford to keep her, and adopted by an Evanston , Ill. , couple before her first birthday, Safia (pronounced SUH-fee-uh) is part of the first major wave of African adoptions ever in the U.S.
Ethiopia became the first African nation to hit the U.S. State Department’s list of the top 10 foreign countries from which Americans adopt in 2004 – the year before Angelina Jolie brought home her Ethiopian-born daughter, Zahara.
This year, the numbers are on pace to increase again, by about 20 percent, to 530 adoptions, according to State Department data.
And while Ethiopia still trails nations such as China , the undisputed leader with 8,000 children arriving here in 2005, Russia with 5,000, and Guatemala with 4,000, observers say that the increase is significant.
“People are finally thinking of adopting from Africa ,” says Meghan Hendy, executive director of the Joint Council on International Children’s Services.
Among the reasons: In a continent where adoption by strangers isn’t widely accepted, Ethiopia is the first nation to open its doors to large-scale adoption of healthy babies and toddlers by Americans.
Celebrities such as Jolie, movies such as “The Constant Gardener,” and a flood of news reports have helped by drawing attention to war, poverty and AIDS in Africa .
Top 10 countries from which Americans adopted in 2005:
- China – 7,906
- Russia – 4,639
- Guatemala – 3,783
- Korea – 1,630
- Ukraine – 821
- Kazakhstan – 755
- Ethiopia – 441
- India – 323
- Colombia – 291
- Philippines – 271
Adoptions from Ethiopia
- 2005 – 441
- 2004 – 289
- 2003 – 135
- 2002 – 105
- 2001 – 158
- 2000 – 95
- 1999 -103
- 1998 – 96
- 1997 – 82
- 1996 – 44
- 1995 – 63
- 1994 – 54
African American Adoptions Stats
- In the United States, 32.7% of African American families with children under 18 years of age live below the poverty level.
- 30.6% of African American children live in female-headed households with no spouse present and 2.6% of African American children live in male-headed households with no spouse present.
- In 1997, a total of 598 African American or biracial children were adopted by white parents through U.S. public adoption agencies. In the same year, 201 African American or biracial children were adopted by white parents through U.S. private adoption agencies or attorneys.
- Between 1991 and 1999, rates for African American teenagers dropped by 30%.
- Currently 20.7 per thousand victims of child abuse and neglect are African American.
- Approximately 568,000 children are in out-of-home care. (i.e., family foster care, residential group care, and therapeutic foster care); 42 % of these children are African American.
- Of the 118,000 children waiting for adoption or having a plan for adoption, 50% are African American.
- Approximately 60% of children in public kinship care are African American.
- Although African American youth account for 15% of the U.S. population, they account for 26% of juvenile arrests, 31% of delinquency referrals to juvenile court, 44% of juveniles detained in delinquency cases, 40% in residual placements, 46% of juveniles transferred to adult criminal court, and 58% admitted to state prisons.
- African American students account for 14.8% of the general population for the 6 through 21 age group, compared with 20.2% of the special education population in all disabilities. 18.3% are diagnosed with a specific learning disability, 34.3% are diagnosed with mental retardation and 26.4% are diagnosed as being emotionally disturbed.
- The nation’s African American population totaled an estimated 34.9 million as of July 1, 1999. African Americans made up 13% of the total population. Since April 1, 1990, the African American population has increased by 4.4 million people, or 14%; meanwhile the total U.S. population has grown by 10%.
- Although African American youth account for only 15% of the juvenile population, more African American juveniles than white juveniles were murdered between 1988 and 1995.
- Of the 46,000 children adopted from the public foster care system in 1999, 43% were African American.
African/African American Adoption Resources
Adoption History Project
Source: U.S. State Department
African American Adoptions Online
Sunny Ridge Family Center
A Child’s Hope
Americans for African Adoptions
brunsli / August 30, 2006
But don’t all parents have issues to deal with in terms of race and how they raise their children, and in particular, minority children? Granted, it may be much greater with children who are transracially adopted, but aren’t loving parents always better than an orphanage?
Neither of my (biological) parents are African American, and I wasn’t raised by them as an AA. Yet, I’m an AA in this society. I had to sort out my racial identity for myself, and seemed to do just fine, even if I do say so myself.
I fail to see the big deal.
Bygbaby / August 31, 2006
B1 “But don’t all parents have issues to deal with in terms of race and how they raise their children, and in particular, minority children?”
B2 I would agree that minority families deal with this in large. I think White denial of racial issues across the board is a barrier that comes into play with the White/Minority adoptions.
B1 “but aren’t loving parents always better than an orphanage?”
B2 Mos def, a warm home & heart will always win out to any institution or lack there of.
Your self sorting & discovery seems to be something that I am hearing most times. Some are ok with this, but then there are others that are not that happy with it because they may fell that they have some missing link.
JasonR / September 11, 2006
I’m a white dad of an adopted AA son. He was born in the US, we adopted him at 8 days old through a private adoption agency. Story here: http://users.livejournal.com/jasonr_/813.html
“I find the topic of international adoption interesting because I think it’s great to save kids around the world from poor conditions but what about saving kids here at home. I am not sure of the statistics but, there are so many children within our borders that need the love of a welcoming family; Black, Yellow, Red, Brown & White.”
For every healthy American Caucasian baby available for adoption there are 6 couples waiting to adopt them.
For every 2 healthy African American baby available for adoption there is 1 couple waiting.
I don’t recall if this statistic included Bi-Racial children or not.
“What I have concerns with are cultural & intra-racial issues that may not be understood by a White person, no matter how aware thaey think they are.”
I could NOT agree more. The sooner we understand how unprepared we are, the sooner we can try to overcome it to the best of our ability. To give you an idea of how out of touch I was.. Before we adopted we did a good deal of research on how a extra-cultural adoption would effect our child, and I was STUNED.. totally, deer in a headlight stunned, that not all African Americans would see our adopting a child who happens to be AA as a good thing. As progress.. I still have problems with African Americans who hold the fact that we adopted our son against him. They can think what they want to about me and my wife, they can question our motives, they can wrestle with all the social issues involved.. But embrace him. To shut him out is to further him from the culture that you are worried about him being isolated from.
“Minotity adults that I am familiar with who were adopted by White families tell me that they have no real connection with their culture because they were not exposed, so they have to seek out information as an adult. Some have mentioned that they are/were not upset with their adopting families for holding back information because they think that the parents did not withhold deliberately.”
I would love to hear their thoughts on what we, as white parents can do to expose our children to more culture. (there are several very good books on this subject, but the more input the better). Cultural events, art, music, history can only do so much, it does not expose him to the overall shared experience. Then there is concern about dealing with some of the negative influences of his peer group (regardless of race/culture).
Our research showed us that although it may not be 100% optimal for an African American child to be raised by white parents, it was far better than many of the alternatives.
“What I appreciate is that a family is acting selflessly by taking in a child that needs to be loved & cared for.”
I, as a parent of a son who happens to be adoped, don’t see adoption as selfless. We do it as much, if not more so, for our need to parent as we do for the need of a child who needs a home. My desire/need to parent a child far outweighed my need to biologically produce one. My desire, then, to raise a child who needed a home, far outweighed my desire/need to raise a child who resembled me. My desire/need to raise a child with a woman whom I love, respect, and know would be/is a wonderful wife/mother out weighed, by far, any resistance we might receive along our journey. But it was still my/our need that drove me.
We are moderately active in our local adoption community. And when asked about adopting a AA child by other caucasian couples, I try to be as straight forward as I can be. Not only Letting them know how rewarding it has been so far, how absolutely amazing our son is, but letting them know what to expect, so far, from society.
The world is not color blind, no matter how much we wish it would be.
-Jason
JasonR / September 13, 2006
Interestingly enough. Having read the article on Ethiopian adoptions on Monday, I met a family last night who adopted a son from Ethiopia last year (at 3 months old). The parents had nothing but good things to say about the process, although we didn’t get a chance to talk with them at length, and at 16months old their son didn’t offer up his views on the process.
-Jason
Bygbaby / September 13, 2006
Hi JasonR
Thx for sharing your story & kudos for you taking on the challenge of parenthood & an AA child.
Books are a great resource, but I think for myself civic organizations in the AA community would be even better. A chance for your entire family to benefit on AA culture etc.
Also thx for giving the statistics; WOW.
And yes, how ironic that you met that family last night. LOL @ the child had nothing to say 😉
Foxxy / November 13, 2006
Great post – you have made many good points but what you fail to realize is just because a person is white, doesn’t mean they are immune to prejudice.
My husband and I are white (Jewish) and adopted an incredible boy from Guatemala. I don’t feel that we saved him but more that he saved us. We went to Guatemala because that is where we felt our child was.
My son will probably know some prejudice in his life. He has a double whammy – he’s Latino and he’s Jewish. I hope that my own experiences with hate will help my son overcome his experiences. We are working hard to keep our son very connected with his heritage. It’s a beautiful one and when we adopted him, we adopted all of him – including his culture.