Nearly forty years after researchers first sought to determine the effects, if any, on children adopted by families whose racial or ethnic background differed from their own, the debate over transracial adoption continues. In this collection of interviews conducted with black and biracial young adults who were adopted by white parents, the authors present the personal stories of two dozen individuals who hail from a wide range of religious, economic, political, and professional backgrounds. How does the experience affect their racial and social identities, their choice of friends and marital partners, and their lifestyles? In addition to interviews, the book includes overviews of both the history and current legal status of transracial adoption.
Table of Content
Introduction
I: Argument, Rhetoric, and Data for and Against Transracial Adoption
Legal Status, History, and Review of Empirical Work
II: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories
Introduction
Interviews
Donna Francis*
Jessica Pelton
Andrea
Kimberly Stapert
Shecara*
Laurie Goff
Chantel Tremitiere
Nicolle Tremitiere Yates
Rachel
Iris*
Aaliyah*
Rhonda Roorda
Reverend Keith J. Bigelow
Daniel Mennega
Tage Larsen
David T. Adams
Dan O’Brien
Seth D. Himrod
Lester Smith Sr.
Ned
Pete
Britton Perry
Taalib*
Chip
III: In Their Own Voices: Summary and Concluding Remarks