Why do people say international adoption is wrong, and you should only adopt from America (or where you live)?

Question

what's the point of talking about missing their culture and everything if the kids are dying?

Answer 1

I think some people have the idea that they need to take care of the less fortunate "at home" first and then focus the efforts some place else.

I disagree I think if someone is willing to open their home it should be to whom every they want....

Answer 2

Some people seem to think that all of life is a big team sport, and that Team ___ (whatever country they're from) has to *WIN* by being the "best", and to them a part winning and being the best is clearing all the children out of foster care the fastest.  To people who view the world this way, anyone who adopts from overseas is helping another country to "win" and is therefore a traitor.  It's not about helping children or building families, it's about helping AMERICAN children and building AMERICAN families (or Canadian, English, etc... pick any developed western nation where adoption is common and where you can find these attitudes).  To them, it doesn't matter if X amount of children are suffering in another country... Those children had the misfortune of being born to a different team, and that's just tough luck!  They believe that those foreign children have no right to loving parents in the US/Canada/etc as long as a single child born in the US/Canada/etc. goes unadopted.  

People with the country-competitive mentality don't accept that there will ALWAYS be orphans and that there will ALWAYS be a need for foster care, and that true success lies in having a solid foster care system to provide for the children who need it.  We'll never get to a point where every child has a family and foster care is obsolete, even if international adoption were banned and everyone who wanted to adopt did so domestically!  I think the bottom line is that kids - lots of kids, all over the world, here there and everywhere - need families, and if someone provides one of those kids with a family, that's a great thing that shouldn't be whined about.

Answer 3

i think that is stupid and i DO NOT agree with who ever is saying that a child is a child no matter where they were born at

Answer 4

The larger issue is the problems of transracial and transcultural adoption, moreso than the international aspect.  Bringing a child into America where s/he will grow up as a minority has its own issues -- white people (which the adoptive parents are likely to be) cannot have a full understanding of the various factors involved in growing up as a minority child or living as a minority in this society.

That many who engage in these adoptions take no interest in exposing their new children to others who look like them, speak the language they heard from their birth until their adoption, understand even minor issues (differences in hair/skin care, for instance) only serves to isolate these children and can create a significant sense of misplacement and abandonment.

If engaged with sensitivity and awareness and a network of cultural connection in place, these adoptions become much less problematic.  But I agree that the wiser solution is improving conditions in developing nations to help eliminate the problem of babies languishing in orphanages -- as well as getting over the need for a baby and looking at the older children here at home who need loving parents.

Answer 5

Its not wrong to do an international adoption... I have never heard someone say it is.

Answer 6

From things I have read it seems to be more about that there are plenty of children/babies that need loving homes right here in America. So some people just believe that we should adopt our “Own” first. Own as in American Orphans and not Orphans from another country.  Like someone from UK [or any country] might say UK [this countries] people need to adopt UK [this countries] children/babies first and not go abroad for children.

Answer 7

people should just stop adopting flat out and stop stealing other peoples kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you barren women cant have your own it just tough but dont take ours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Answer 8

Why bring more problematic mouths to feed and one day fight here? We have enough people to save right down the street what is wrong with them?

Answer 9

I think this has been addressed so many times here.  But generally, I think the emphasis is on the fact that there are over 500,000 American children in foster care.  That speaks for itself.

Yes, of course, no one wants any child to die from starvation (or any other reason).  But perhaps the time, money and effort could be put into helping poor countries provide for their peoples, rather than as much adoption, which then creates the demand.  And then maybe we as Americans, could  focus on quicker, more efficient and permanent solutions for the 1/2 million children who grow up in too often poverty and isolation in a foster home.

Answer 10

People say this because there are so many problems in america they feel that you should choose that over other countries... now honestly, i understand them BUT, just because they won't adopt they want to ***** at you... you love your child no matter what country they are from... people will always have something to say about everything in your life... let them, just make sure whatever you do, you're proud.