• Is it right to detach a child from his/her cultural background and for parents to try to impose their own?
• How can we know if a child will not be affected by being in a family with different beliefs and in a society where the culture is different from that of their own? Psychological effects?
• How can a child overcome the perception society will have?
• Is it possible for a child to really “integrate” in a family that is not their own and is from a different cultural and racial background?
First and foremost in terms of transracial and transcultural adoptions the most important element that one must definitely take into consideration is whether or not the adopted child enters a kind and loving family that will treat him or her like their own child. Then comes the issue of whether or not this is detaching the child from their cultural background. I believe that in any scenario it is better for the child that he/she is adopted by a family that has the same cultural background as the child. For instance, a colored baby should be adopted by a colored family, a white baby should be adopted by a white family, a Chinese baby should be adopted by a Chinese family, and so forth. This is mostly due to the child’s identity and the feeling that he/she actually does belong and is a member of the family. It would be hard to truly integrate in a family that is from a different cultural and racial background. Nonetheless, if a colored family decides to adopt a white child and allows this child to have a great education with many opportunities, I utterly believe that there is no harm in that. If this child in question does not end up being adopted he/she is most likely going to grow up in foster homes who do not have the same culture. Not to mention, these foster homes are not always the safest and most loving homes. All in all, one most think of the child’s well being first before anything!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is evident that transracial and transcultural adoption will always be subject to controversy, for the simple reason that it is hard to know what is the right thing to do. As FZ argues, if a child is given the opportunity to have a caring and loving family, than that is all that matters. Every child deserves a chance at a family, and if we begin to criticize and expect the family to be of a certain race or culture, than we are robing this child from a chance at a family; a chance to be loved. It is unfair for society to hinder a child from belonging. The counter-argument however, is as powerful. If a child becomes part of family that is from a different race and has a different culture, than the child will loose any sense of his or her identity. The child will not now where he/she came from, and knowing where we come from is essential to all human beings. Of course, one can expose him/herself to diverse cultures and grow further from his/her own;regardless, it is important for one to know where he/she comes from. Its a piece of everyone that should not be neglected. In relation to race, if a child is adopted into a family that has a different race, than they will always SEE that they don't really belong. Of course some children can overcome the visible and tangible differences, but there are those that don't have that strength; for they always be reminded that there birth parents abandoned them. The way I see it, transracial and transcultural adoption, can change a child's life. The change could give the child a chance at a family or create challenges for the child, that no child should face at a such a young age. No one can really know, and no one can say if it is ethical or not. The child has the final world, and the child is all that matters; not society, not us!
ReplyDeleteI entirely agree with FZ. In my opinion one should try to keep children with parents of the same race, however that is not always possible and so it makes sense to allow transcultural adoption. In addition the fact that the alternative to being adopted by a family of the same race as the child, is to live in a foster home, shows as long as the child is loved and cared for, the race and color of the parents don't matter. Thus, this leads me to say that race is a commodity and not a prerequisite. As in, if they're the same, great, but if their not; whatever. In addition, when thinking about it, we realize that we live in a world of globalization and interconnectedness, as in colors of people are starting to matter less and less as we enter a whole new era of global communication and understanding. That is however, not to say that ethnic and cultural backgrounds don't matter, on they contrary, they are incredibly important as they make it possible for a child to feel like they belong in something that is even greater than themselves, which is perhaps one of the things that we are all intent on doing.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that race should not be much of an issue in adoption. As Ghali said, it would make sense that parents try to adopt children of similar race, but if there is not other alternative, then adopting a child of different race should be allowed. I can see how some people might have a problem with transracial adoption because the child might grow up not knowing where he came from and might lose his identity. Plus, with the constant golbalization that is happening in the world, it could be very easy for a child to lose his or her identity. Furthermore, the child might not feel like he is actually part of the family since he is of a completely different race and culture. These are all reasons why people should first try to adopt a child of similar race and only adopt a child of different race if there is no other alternative. Unfortuantely, there is no possible way of know for certain if an adopted child is going to be loved and cared for althoug extra measures can be taken. If a child living in a foster home with little food, etc. is going to get a better education, better life, and more care by being adopted then the race should not be of much conern.
ReplyDelete• Is it right for adoption agencies and parents to make decisions that affect a child’s life?
ReplyDelete--> VERY VAGUE QUESTION! Umm, if I get it right, then HELL YES! If adoption agencies don't make the decision of where to send the child, then who will? The child, usually not able to speak or walk yet, has NOOOOOOO IDEA WHERE HE'S FROM! (emphasis on NO IDEA!) If anything, adoption agencies create happiness and connect people that need each other to finally be complete! (STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE!!)
• Is it right to detach a child from his/her cultural background and for parents to try to impose their own?
--> It depends to which extent, if the child is being exposed to his/her parents' culture or the culture in whatever country he/she lives in, then there's not harm in that. However, I don't think religion should be something up to the parents to decide on. The right way would be to tell the child where he/she is from, and leave the faith decision up to the child. This is a safe way that allows for the child (if he/she wants) to stay connected to their roots through religion.
• How can we know if a child will not be affected by being in a family with different beliefs and in a society where the culture is different from that of their own? Psychological effects?
--> I think this is a bit of an exaggeration. Unless the child is adopted by Nazis, I doubt he/she will be taught beliefs that are bound to screw up his/her mind. I think the people who formulated these questions should've reviewed them, because I doubt a child who's offered a home and love will actually take time to reflect on how the family will affect his/her mind... (:facepalm:)
• How can a child overcome the perception society will have?
--> Like any other "freak" (gay, transgendered, adopted, handicapped...), an adopted child has to arm himself with courage to face all the as*holes he/she will run into in their lifetime. Also, parents play a MAJOR role in helping the child overcome society's BS, by reminding the child that he/she is completely theirs and that they love him/her just like their own.
• Is it possible for a child to really “integrate” in a family that is not their own and is from a different cultural and racial background?
--> OF COURSE!! The only thing that makes the child feel like he/she is not really part of the family is the idiots on the street reminding him/her that they're adopted!
Adoption remains adoption, and in any case it is helpful as the children get a home and parents that they never had. For me the most important criteria for eligible parents isn't necessarily their race, but their financial and mental stability. If one will adopt a child just to harm him then whats the use ? Now the debate is whether parents from another race harm the children ? Well I would say that race is really the last criteria, yes indeed the color or esthetic difference can be questioned by fellow classmates or other children yet for me that is minor. When giving too much importance to race , we are actually being racist and showing the line between an asian or an african, we are emphasizing on the differences, with time human beings have started to globalize not to segregate, therefore in order to help the world evolve in the right way one should not care about the race of the adoption. Yet I would agree if two families from different races withe exactly the same financial and mental stability come to adopt a child , the child should be given to the corresponding race, as a preference but not an obligation. Throughout the conversation after the presentation we came across a dilemma; someone stated that the child loses his or her cultur and origins when he is adopted by a new family. Well thats a hard one to answer, yet in my opinion a new born child that was put in a foster home has no culture or origin, what determines your origin is the parents that raise you, the city you grow up in , the language you first learn how to speak, the first friends you interact with. How can one blame his adoptive parents for not giving him a sense of cultur or origin when he was never faced to any cultur or origin by his or her parents, in some cases we do not even know where the child came from which country or which continent, all we know is his physical appearance, and for all I know your DNA cannot tell you which country you come from, countries are just separations we humans in-stored. The living proof of what I am stating is the UNited states which is a blend of several cultures and ethnicities yet in the end one can just state I AM AMERICAN and there is no difference between one another !!!!
ReplyDeleteSaad, I have never seen as much sense come from your hand. You have said exactly what I wanted to say, culture is not hard-wired into a person before they are born, it is taught. If there is one aspect in which I think everyone can agree every child starts as a tabula rasa, it is the cultural aspect. We can see it everyday with children that have not only been adopted but also moved, is that not the everlasting excuse for why second and third( and of course further ones too) generation immigrants should be completely integrated, because they see themselves as belonging to the country in which they were raised! To go off on a slight tangent here, I have conflicting ideals on this subject, on the one hand, I think every human being should be treated as nothing more than a human being and that globalisation and the loss of differences is best for the human race, but on the other hand, I am sad to see diversity and culture being lost. I sometimes yearn for times when there were multiple human civilizations, with different ways of doing thins and different stages of technology. In this sense I sometimes think it would be better if people were only adopted by those of their own race... But to get back to the point, I agree with everything you say. Except in one case which you forgot to address, children are not all adopted as newborns, sometimes they have already spent some time under their own parents or in a foster home, in this case, I think that children should definitely be adopted by people not necessarily of the same skin-colour, but at least by people who have similar ethical values as those the children had thus far been brought up in. I have seen things go horribly wrong for adopted children upon whom the parents tried to enforce western "values" after different values had already been "installed" into those children's brains. For example, a girl who had grown up in a refugee camp in Rwanda where she had to do everything to be able to survive (such as steal) was adopted by someone I know, it turned out impossible to raise her as a "civilised" western child, and she rebelled and was misunderstood when she did things she could not see anything wrong with.
DeleteIs it right for adoption agencies and parents to make decisions that affect a child’s life?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, it’s okay for adoption agencies and parents to make these decision because it is likely that they will make the best judgements for the benefit of the child and his/her future.
Is it right to detach a child from his/her cultural background and for parents to try to impose their own?
I personally think this is a hard question to answer since children, growing-up, will form their own opinions about cultural background and its importance to their identity, so this issue is fairly relative to the child. I also don’t think this is a question of whether it is right or wrong. Rather, I believe it is a question of choice: whether adopted children should decide if they want to be exposed to the cultural background of origin or if they don’t.
How can we know if a child will not be affected by being in a family with different beliefs and in a society where the culture is different from that of their own? Psychological effects?
As I responded in the question above, it’s a hard question to answer since each adopted child will have their opinions about culture and their identity. Therefore, the effect of these differences in culture and beliefs will be different to according to the child. One adopted child might feel incongruous to the setting he was raised in while another might feel right despite his differences. There’s no way to truly know since it all depends.
How can a child overcome the perception society will have?
I’m not quite understanding this question. What exactly is this perception that society will have? Perception of the adopted child to his/her family? If that’s the case, then a child will eventually overcome these perceptions as they grow up and assert themselves as individuals instead of allowing outside perceptions to control them. That’s just the way life works. If raised properly, we grow to become the individuals we want to be instead of sheep following the herd of society.
Is it possible for a child to really “integrate” in a family that is not their own and is from a different cultural and racial background?
I definitely believe it is a possibility. True family is ultimately a relationship based on love and trust with the parents that raised you and nothing, not even racial or cultural differences, can interfere with it. Heck, even differences in species can get in the way of forming a true family. This may be digressing a bit but did you hear about a piglet being raised by a dog? It’s a cute story and definitely proves the point that a true family can overcome all differences.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1210909/Abandoned-piglet-lost-hound-Giant-farm-dog-saves-baby-pigs-bacon-adopting-own.html
I love this link, David! Thanks for adding it!
DeleteI agree that perhaps it would better benefit the child if they were put under a care by a family of similar race as radical differences in physical appearances such as skin color, may raise risks of discrimination or even bullying as the child grows older. However, like many have already stated, the health and welfare of the child is the utmost important decision factor and when weighed against each other, racial similarity plays little significant role in comparison to the child's welfare. I agree that culture is an important aspect of our identity and that children should have the right to embrace it. However, I also believe that culture is largely determined by where we are brought up - the environment and community - and that most children, regardless of their blood race, will grow up to consider their adopted home as their own family and culture, provided that they are adopted by a loving and caring family. As for discrimination risks, as Ghali said, the world is modernizing and adapting to changes rapidly. Transracial adoption is being regarded as less and less out of the ordinary as times and globalization are progressing. Again, this is coming from an international individual with a mixed cultural background - I consider both Denmark and Japan as my homeland and embrace them equally as my culture, but in different ways - Denmark was more my childhood home as I lived there at a young age, Japan is a more recent one.
ReplyDelete• Is it right for adoption agencies and parents to make decisions that affect a child’s life?
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe it is right, for the child has no means of differentiating right from wrong. He should be taught the basic principles of life. There is no way a child would be able to make reasonable decisions at such a young age !
• Is it right to detach a child from his/her cultural background and for parents to try to impose their own?
Well there is no right or wrong. It all depends on how comfortable the parents are in adopting a child from a different cultural background and whether they will be able to face the consequences related to this. I believe that it is right for the parents to impose their own cultural background. I mean, if the parents were to adopt a Cambodian child, they shouldn’t have to show their child all the Cambodian foods, religions, traditions...etc It would be ridiculous. I think these parents should impose their own cultural background, and then expose the child’s own origins later on in his life.
• How can we know if a child will not be affected by being in a family with different beliefs and in a society where the culture is different from that of their own? Psychological effects?
Well the child we are talking about is still young, and there is no way he is going to be affected by any change (since there is NO CHANGE !) The child is not born with a country, or traditions stuck to his soul. On the other hand, if the child were to be 10 years old when adopted, it is true that he might suffer psychological effects. However, if his new parents are loving and caring, I don’t think he is going to be affected by anything. He will be grateful.
• How can a child overcome the perception society will have?
Well gratefully, society is made up of all sorts of different people (different races, different sizes, shapes, faces, bodies…Etc) This child will have to act as everyone else, and “arm himself with courage” as Salim answered.
• Is it possible for a child to really “integrate” in a family that is not their own and is from a different cultural and racial background?
Yes, it is possible! As long as the parents are caring and loving and provide the child with all that is necessary in life.