Welcome my blog exploring adoption and identity
In this blog, cross-cultural adoptions of individuals from Asian Heritage by North American families will be explored. Specifically it will look at the potential challenges associated with the development of racial identity of adoptees later in life. Being adopted cross-culturally can have challenging on one’s development of racial identity.
What is cross-cultural or transracial adoption?
Adoptions by parents of differing ethnic race than their adopted children.
To Begin…
There are studies suggesting that transracial adoptees have a higher percentage of challenges or confusion associated with their racial identity (Brooks, 2013). Many adoptees have expressed the feeling of being “the odd one out” or “not fitting in” because they were not the same race as those around them (Brooks, 2013). Additionally, European Americans often raise their children in a colourblind way, however, they wished for more experiences to fit in and look like those around them (Brooks, 2013). Adoptees felt they were not necessarily prepared for the racial discrimination they faced and felt their parents could not relate to them in that way (Brooks, 2013). Moreover, adoptees also felt like they never quite fit in with groups of their ethnicity or origin as a result of their upbringing by European American parents (Brooks, 2013).
Brooks, J. (2013) The Process of Parenting (9th ed.). Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill
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Adoption and Identity 