Reflection On Adoption By Dr. Aronson

After reading this novel, I have reflected on my own life and how I can relate to the novel’s content. Although no one in my family was adopted, I have two neighbors who were adopted internationally from Russia, and my boyfriend has three cousins who were adopted domestically in the United States. I can remember when my two neighbors were adopted, and what their childhoods were like. When I was about three, Dana and Brittany were adopted from Russia by my married neighbor’s Bill and Debbie. Brittany was seven, a year older than my brother, and Dana was three like me. When they were first brought home into my neighborhood which is in Central New Jersey, my family stopped by their house to congratulate Bill and Debbie and to meet their newly
Most, if not all, of the personal stories came from white families who are a part of the middle class or yet higher which I found quiet interesting. It seems as if most adoptions that occur in the United States are from “richer” families. I begin to wonder if it is the cost of adoption that is deterring families from adopting. A majority of the stories in the novel came from families living in New York, which is a relatively wealthy place to live. Beyond that, famous producers, actors/actresses, etc. adoption stories were featured in Dr. Aronson’s novel. Although the novel is extremely powerful and moving, it does emit a stigma that only wealthier families can adopt. If money is a deterrent, the cost of adopting a child should be lowered. Lowering the price could positively impact children across the world. With a lowered price, more families may be willing to go through the adoption process, and more children will be given the love and care that they deserve and so desperately
Aronson’s book can greatly impact a child’s schooling as well as my future teaching as an educator. When a child is adopted internationally, he or she typically (certainly not always) speaks little English, as was the case with my neighbors Brittany and Dana. When a child speaks minimal English, it is hard to communicate with the child and it is difficult to determine if the child can understand what you are saying. Sometimes, a child can understand English, they just have a challenging time reading it or writing it, and vice versa. Every child learns at a different pace, so it may take some adopted children longer to learn to speak, read, listen, and write in English. In some instances, a child may be placed into an ESL (English as a Second Language) program. English Language Learners (ELLs), “are students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses” (Hidden Curriculum, 2013). Some adopted children will fall under the category of an ELL dependent upon the age they were adopted at, as well as their family structure. Everyone’s family structure is unique because everyone comes from diverse backgrounds. Some families are extremely regimented with their culture and how they practice it. With that being said, teachers need to be understanding of that, and