Comparisons by Age
Infants
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Early Childhood
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Middle Childhood
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Adolescence
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Comparisons by Race
With any minority child adopted by a white family, the child may feel confusion related to ethnic identity. Due to their upbringing, they may mentally identify themselves as white, yet others see them as a different race due to their outward appearance. Check out an adopted Asian American's testimony from the University of California-Berkley about his struggles with ethnicity throughout childhood (Huynh, 2012).
Issues with white parents adopting Asians
Since 1991 when China began to allow American adoption, many (55,000 as of 2006) Chinese children (mostly girls) have been adopted from China. This is in addition to the numerous children adopted from other Asian countries--notably South Korea, the first major country in American adoptions. The oldest Chinese girls are now beginning to enter adulthood. The connection they feel with their Chinese heritage varies greatly--somewhat related to their upbringing.
According to experts, if children are going to form healthy identities as "Asian," they should be exposed to other Asians, maybe through mentors, to not only learned about the culture but also to discuss any identity concerns. Children should be routinely exposed to Asian culture--and not only by celebrating Chinese New Year or occasionally going to Chinese restaurants (Clemetson, 2006). |
Issues with white parents adopting African Americans
Since 1996, the Multiethnic Placement Act--Interethnic Adoption Provision has prohibited agencies using public funds from discriminating against race when placing children. Prior to 1996, many African American children in foster care could not be placed because white families were unable to adopt them. However, some critics argue that white families are not mentally ready to adopt black children. These people insist that parents need to teach their adopted black children self-esteem, how to stand up to racism, and pride in their race. Children who don't learn these values increasingly experience a desire to be white. More than anything, this act has shown the need of parents to make their adopted children proud of their own races (Lee-St. John, 2008).
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Comparisons by Gender
- The most powerful factor when choosing what gender of child to adopt is considering the spouse's feelings. The next strongest factor is the couple's previous experiences with children of each gender (Freeark et al., 2005).
Females
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Males
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References
Bethany Christian Services. (n.d.). Adoption at different ages. Retrieved from http://www.bethanylifelines.org/adoptees/adoption-at-different-ages.
Clemetson, L. (2006, March 23). Adopted in China, Seeking identity in America. New York Times. n.pg.
Freeark, K., Rosenberg, E.B., Bornstein, J., Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D., Linkevich, M., & Lohnes, K. (2005). Gender differences and dynamics shaping the adoption life cycle: Review of the literature and recommendations. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75(1), 86-101.
Huynh, J. (2012, November). Telling my story: Adopting Asian. Hardboiled. pp. 3.
Lee-St. John, J. (2008). Should race be a factor in adoptions? Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1809722,00.html.
Bethany Christian Services. (n.d.). Adoption at different ages. Retrieved from http://www.bethanylifelines.org/adoptees/adoption-at-different-ages.
Clemetson, L. (2006, March 23). Adopted in China, Seeking identity in America. New York Times. n.pg.
Freeark, K., Rosenberg, E.B., Bornstein, J., Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D., Linkevich, M., & Lohnes, K. (2005). Gender differences and dynamics shaping the adoption life cycle: Review of the literature and recommendations. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75(1), 86-101.
Huynh, J. (2012, November). Telling my story: Adopting Asian. Hardboiled. pp. 3.
Lee-St. John, J. (2008). Should race be a factor in adoptions? Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1809722,00.html.
Illinois State University |TCH 210 Sec 001 Spring 2014 | Amy Frederick, Spanish Education | Grace Heim, Speech-Language Pathology & Spanish | Created 3/26/2014 | Last Updated 4/23/2014