The Pros And Cons Of Interracial Adoption

Interracial adoption (also called transracial adoption) has long been a controversial issue, even among avid adoption advocates. Adoption is a lifelong commitment that affects the entire family, especially the adopted child. Hence, it is imperative to look past the adorable faces and really think through the pros and cons of interracial adoption. Consequently, interracial adoption should not be embraced, because of how the intent of the adopting parents neglect the child and puts at risk the negative impact on the child’s development. It also discusses the effect of this ‘cosmetic family approach’ on the child’s cultural and biological identity. This point is closely linked to the last point, which is the expensive cost and duration issues
When an adopted child is young, he/she will not know, or care, if they have the same colour skin as the adopting parent. A baby just needs consistent love and care to thrive; not the same colour skin or eyes as their caretaker. However, when the interracial baby grows, he/she might have many several questions, concerns and even resentments about being part of a family they do not ‘match’ with. Australia, like many other nations, is not a ‘colour-blind’ country. People will approach parents with interracial kids in the supermarket to ask about the child. Some will make unkind comments, others will treat them like a saint, gushing about the wonderful things they did. Other children in the family will have a new identity as the sibling of a child of another race. As the interracial child grows, he/she might feel the burden of standing out. A 1999 study published in The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry found that 50 percent of Asian and ‘Black’ adoptees felt discomfort over their racial appearance. In light of the above, it can be derived that parents who adopt transracially intend to convey a loving message to the child, but this has many