The adoption of children on a transnational basis is one of the blessings of the modern human culture. Resulting from the worries of humanity to find homes for the orphans of wars such as the World War II, governments established legal frameworks to expand this exercise (Masson 2001). Therefore, whereas there were about 30,000 children being adopted from 50 countries in 2001 (Selmon 2000), the count has now reached over five times as much. Transnational adoption has led to the building of international ties between countries creating a more potent human civilisation. Among its other benefits, transnational adoption has also led to the provision of homes for deprived children in a number of cultures; for example, orphans of the African continent and little girls of China. Hence, it is an exercise that is creating opportunities for social and racial equality around the world. …show more content…
The practice of international adoption of children has brought about many possibilities for people to understand the spirit of humanity despite the natural differences of race and ethnic origins.
Parents, especially single parents, belonging to poor financial background, are grateful to the phenomenon of transnational adoption that has given them the comfort of knowing that their children are living happily with a family, if not with their natural parents, and living life in a much better manner as they would with their natural parents. It gives them hope and soothes the pain they have for living away from their beloved children.
Rick Smolan shares one such story of Keiko, an indigenous Chinese girl, who was born to a poor couple (TED 2008). When she was six years old her father died in a fatal accident. Due to the realisation that it was impossible for her to take care of the child, the mother agreed to let a Japanese family adopt her daughter, who now not only lives happily with her family in USA but is also enjoying the fruits of good education (TED
2008).
The educational opportunities have increased for children on individual levels due to transnational adoption whereby they are able to live in peaceful environments and in safety with their new families and get good education. In contrast, it is known that many children in certain parts of the world go through hard labour in their childhood with no healthcare facilities and unhygienic food, as UNICEF found in Kenya (Crawley 2001 as cited in Roby and Shaw 2006).
Indeed, the fruits of transnational adoption of children are many. There may be a number of flaws in the legislation controlling international adoption of children but the necessity and the encouraging results the exercise has shown to the human spirit are more than enough to conclude that it should be continued with the protection of secure law. Transnational adoption has inspired racial tolerance and understanding to countless people around the world. It is the best present it has delivered to the modern human society along with the fulfilled lives of countless young souls. Though pain has played its part, transnational adoption of children has brought a happy future to many.
REFERENCES
Crawley, M. (2001). Cribs and Hugs for Africa’s AIDS Orphans. In Roby, J.L. and Shaw, S.A. (2006). The African Orphan Crisis and International Adoption. Social Work. 51 (3), pp. 199+.
Masson, J. (2001). Intercountry Adoption: A Global Problem or a Global Solution? Journal of International Affairs. 55.
Selmon, P. (2000). The Demographic History of Intercountry Adoption. In Selman, P. (Ed.) Intercountry Adoption. Whitaker: British Association for Adoption and Fostering, pp. 13+.
TED (2008). A Girl, A Photograph, A Homecoming: Rick Smolan on TED.com. Available from: http://blog.ted.com/2008/07/a_girl_a_photog.php.