Would you consider interracial adoption? Why or why not?

Question

Would you consider interracial adoption? Why or why not?

Answer 1

I would adopt a baby and i could care less about what race the child is, All children deserve to be loved.

Answer 2

I think I could love a baby of any race. They are all beautiful.

Answer 3

I have 3 biological caucasian children as well as two adopted asian children. We did consider very strongly adopting a little girl (a true orphan) from Haiti but that did not work out, and we also considered adopting from the foster care system (no racial preference) but that also did not work out.

When people say race does not matter, I think they are doing the child a great disservice. I've never heard anyone but a white person ever say race did not matter. Of course it matters in our society. Maybe it shouldn't, but it does. Any parent who wants to adopt a child of a different race or nationality, whether black, hispanic, asian, native american, what have you, they need to really pay attention to race and culture. Our children need strong male and female role models who look like them. They need to see themselves in the world around them in a positive way in order to develop proper positive  self esteem about themselves. Things like learning the native language of your child (we adopted from China so I learned to speak basic mandarin, if I adopted from Haiti I would take lessons for kreyol/creole), learn recipes, celebrate holidays, move to an area with great diversity, decorate your home with items from that child's culture, take family vacations to the area where your child is from, read books and magazines featuring your child's native country or featuring people who look like your child and if at all possible, keep in touch with your child's family of origin. Most of all, you need to let your child know that you are open to discussion about racism and racial differences. Being raised 'color blind' is not going to help your child if they become a target of racism and they may be that much less likely to come to you because they feel you will not understand or sympathize.

These are just things to think about if you are considering transracial adoption.

Answer 4

I have adopted interracially. Our society is not color blind and there is no benefit to our child to pretend that we are. There's no question that we love our son enormously and that love and his place in our family has nothing at all to do with the color of his skin or how it differs from anyone elses. He is growing up looking differently from the rest of the family and everyone is aware of this. First of all, it is obvious to everyone that he was adopted and that is not necessarily easy for every child in every situation. He has no need to explain to anyone that he was adopted and he also has no privacy about the issue. He is nearly 12 years old now and is just beginning to explore his identity and wonder how who he looks like effects who he is. I have brought him up in an open and honest way and have tried to give him courage and confidence in a world that will not always be kind and non-judgemental. He is very bright and an appealing and attractive child. I think he will succeed in life. I'd like to believe that the color of his skin is irrelevant to how the world sees him but, I know that's not true.

Answer 5

Love - NO skin color!!!

Answer 6

I would love to adopt a child.. and I've even talked it over with my husband....right now though we have an 11 month old and am 37 weeks pregnant with another... so it would be a few years before we did!.. but yes, I'd adopt from any race.. all children are still God's children in my eyes no matter what race they are

Answer 7

I have adopted outside my race.

Its not all rainbows and kitten kisses, but it works for our family. We embrace his culture as our own, live in a diverse environment, are involved in groups with many other transracial adoptive families, take courses taught by transracial adoptees and counselors, have friends who are our sons race and maintain contact with our sons first family.

I would not recommend it to everyone and it takes a great deal of effort from the parents. Having the ideal of being colorblind, does nothing to honor your child or recognize that their experience is very different from your own (particularly if you are not a minority).

That said, our adoption has been a wonderful and joyous experience and NOTHING (certainly not skin color) could make my son anymore my son than he already is.

Answer 8

Never.  A child needs to be raised in a home of the child's own race and/or ethnicity.

Answer 9

I have one biological child and I am looking to adopt a second child.  We are not considering interracial adoption because we want the child to feel like she belongs in our family.  We want people to look at us and not wonder why one of our children look different.  I don't want to have to explain to nosy people that my child is adopted.  We will tell our child that she is adopted, and our close friends and family -- but it will be up to our child to decide who she wants to tell.

Answer 10

Yes, I think it would be a great idea. Just remember: If you decided to have a natural child BEFORE or AFTER you adopt with your hsband who is the same race as you, there could be jealousy issues between the two children and the adopted child would kind of feel left out. I'm not saying don't adopt one, I'm just letting you know what might happen later on as grown kids.

Answer 11

I have considered intercultural adoption 5 different times.  We were successful in the adoption in 3 of them.  What culture the baby comes from should not be a consideration, and it usually isn't (naysayers notwithstanding).

Don''t worry about necessarily embracing their former culture.  The most important thing is that he/she is in a loving home with good parents.

I say culture because there are not different races.  We are all one race - human.