Interracial Adoption

Kiya Smith
February 20, 2010
Period 6
Interracial Adoption

Do you know or have you ever known anybody that has been interracially adopted? If so, how did they feel about the adoption? Were they able to cope with all of the hardships of the adoption or did they struggle trying? Interracial adoption is a very serious issue. It is nothing to play around with. Most people adopt interracially not knowing or understanding the severity of the situation. Adopting interracially affects a child for the rest of their life. They have to live with the ups and downs of the adoption. There are a lot of factors that play into adoption but there are even more factors when it comes to interracial adoption. Race should be considered in adoption because of racial discrimination, cultural differences, and ignorance.

First and foremost, race should be considered in adoption because of racial discrimination. When someone is in an environment where they are the only person that is different, they are going to be discriminated upon. Children as well as adults discriminate against others for reasons unknown. A teacher in England once told an American student, “It 's amazing what you are achieving almost straight out of the jungle" (Lawson 28). A teacher is telling a student that they are surprised that the student is doing well because of their racial background. That is one of the most hurtful ways that you can be discriminated upon. A lot of Koreans were being adopted by Caucasian people during a time when people were encouraging interracial adoptions. Their peers, their teachers, and even members of their own race did not accept the children. “Only a minority of the respondents said they felt welcomed by members of their own ethnic group,” (Nixon A9). People of the same ethnic background won’t even accept the interracially adopted children. Discrimination is not uncommon at all and having a child susceptible to it is immoral in every sense of the word. Discrimination is something that sticks with you forever. It is always in the back of your mind and it may even cause you to start doubting and/or downing playing yourself. Eventually, you start to believe what was said, and that only leads to low self-esteem. Secondly, race should be considered in adoption because of cultural differences. Every race has a different culture. Some of the customs in the culture can only be taught by people of the same ethnic background. “So many adoptees are struggling with what it means to be black,” says University of Utah Ph.D. candidate Darron Smith (Jarvik and Collins A1). Some one who is not black does not know how to be black. A person can only teach someone so much about a subject that they have very little knowledge about themselves. When these children play with other children of their same race, there is a major possibility that they begin to feel alienated. They weren’t taught the customs of their religion and therefore don’t know how to act in certain situations when they are around people of their race. Different races endure different obstacles. “The report, based on an examination of the law 's impact over a decade, said that minority children adopted into white households face special challenges and that white parents need preparation and training for what might lie ahead,” (Nixon A16). Minority children face different challenges than white people. White people are not yet ready to face those challenges. You can’t teach someone how to get over a mountain that you have never had to climb. It is impossible to teach someone how to overcome something that you have never had to overcome yourself. Lastly, race should be considered in adoption because of ignorance. When children are interracially adopted they consider themselves whatever race their adoptive parents are. “At no time did I consider myself anything other than white,” said Ms. Young (Nixon A9). She did not think of herself as Chinese, she thought of herself as white; but she is not white. She is Chinese. Most of the children don’t know anything about their own heritage. When it comes time for them to go to college and live the rest of their lives, they are confused as to who they are. They began to struggle to try to find out about their “real” nationality. “Mom, I want to go to China.” She wanted to find her birth mother (Srinivasan 1). Coming to terms with your past is a very difficult and traumatic experience. It is hard to face something that you have kept hidden after all of those years. It is ten times as hard for interracially adopted children. Not only do they have to go back and face their past, they also have to come to terms with their true nationality. They have to find out about their history and know what it means to be whatever their race is. In conclusion, race should be considered in adoption for a number of reasons. Love is not always enough when it comes to adoption. There are other important factors that need to be considered. Racial discrimination is a big, hurtful factor. Cultural differences and ignorance are other big, painful factors. Love is a necessity but it is not always enough. Would you want to go through all of the downfalls that come with being interracially adopted?

Works Cited

Jarvik, Elaine, and Lois M. Collins. "Addressing Interracial Adoption Issues Important." Deseret News 01 Feb 2010: A. 1. SIRS Researcher. Web. 25 March 2010.
Lawson, Dominic. "The Racism of Our Adoption Rules." The Independent (London, England) 11 Nov 2008: 28. SIRS Researcher. Web. 25 March 2010.
Nixon, Ron. "Adopted from Korea and in Search of Identity." New York Times (New York, NY) 09 Nov 2009: A. 9. SIRS Researcher. Web. 25 March 2010.
Nixon, Ron. "De-Emphasis on Race in Adoption Is Criticized." New York Times (New York, NY) 27 May 2008: A.16. SIRS Researcher. Web. 14 April 2010.
Srinivasan, Sujata. "Lessons in Chinese." Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT) Jan. 23 2005: 1+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 14 April 2010.

Cited: Jarvik, Elaine, and Lois M. Collins. "Addressing Interracial Adoption Issues Important." Deseret News 01 Feb 2010: A. 1. SIRS Researcher. Web. 25 March 2010. Lawson, Dominic. "The Racism of Our Adoption Rules." The Independent (London, England) 11 Nov 2008: 28. SIRS Researcher. Web. 25 March 2010. Nixon, Ron. "Adopted from Korea and in Search of Identity." New York Times (New York, NY) 09 Nov 2009: A. 9. SIRS Researcher. Web. 25 March 2010. Nixon, Ron. "De-Emphasis on Race in Adoption Is Criticized." New York Times (New York, NY) 27 May 2008: A.16. SIRS Researcher. Web. 14 April 2010. Srinivasan, Sujata. "Lessons in Chinese." Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT) Jan. 23 2005: 1+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 14 April 2010.