Transracial Adoption Issues in Latinx Transracial Adoptees Presented by: Helen Shih Clarify transracial adoption, clarify Latinx

Why I have a personal interest in transracial adoptees...

Why I have a professional interest in transracial adoption... Assessment adoptions social worker; assessment adoptions intern when I wrote this thesis; talk about prior experience

What my personal and professional experience taught me... Parents who adopt transracially often have the best of intentions. Parents who adopt transracially are often ignorant about aspects of adoption and transracial adoption. 2: loss, loss of racial, cultural, ethnic community

What Existing Research Tells Us About Transracial Adoptees’ Experiences Experiences of isolation are not uncommon. Some transracial adoptees experience marginalization in their own homes. Racial/cultural/ethnic socialization is a protective factor, but difficult to get right. Parental communication about difference was often insufficient. Transracial adoptees are resilient So TRA was natural choice for my thesis I began with background research. Background research showed that this ignorance has consequences... End: What it doesn’t tell us: about the experience of Latinx transracial adoptees

Why? Everyone, including adoptive parents, has implicit biases Multi-Ethnic Placement Act and Interethnic Placement Act*

My Study Purpose: Learn more about the experiences of Latinx transracial adoptees. See if their experiences are consistent with the existing literature. Participants: 3 women, 20s- 30s 1 recruited from Pact 2 from online groups 2 Peruvian, 1 Colombian All adopted into White, middle-class + families

My Study Procedure: Conducted semi-structured interviews via video chat Transcribed interviews Highlighted significant statements Clustered statements Identified themes Broad overview of procedure

The following themes emerged: Isolation and Confusion Exploration and Reconnection Adoption Insight 3 1 2 Findings; Commonalities in all three participants’ experiences; Explain the themes relation to each other Also subthemes...will be introduced in the following slides

Isolation and Confusion Subthemes Lack of ability to express transracial adoption related needs as children Lack of support in forming meaningful connections with their cultures of origin as youth Read quotes from index cards

Exploration and Reconnection Subthemes Reconnection with birth families and birth countries Engagement with other transracial adoptees Read quotes from index cards

Adoption Insight Subthemes Belief that adoptive parents need more transracial adoption education Meaning making (each participant found ways to make their adoption related challenges meaningful) Read quotes from index cards

Implications for Social Work Knowing what we know, social workers can take steps to reduce isolation and confusion among transracial adoptees. Past research, my reserach which fits in with past resarch

At our county departments of social services, we help form families via transracial adoption every day... Are we doing so responsibly? What can we do to help the transracial adoptees have better experiences than the subjects in my study and previous studies?

What I have observed... Our handling of transracial adoption varies tremendously from worker to worker because we don’t enforce any blanket policies for promoting education for parents adopting transracially.

Q: How Can We Make Practical Positive Changes? A: Better education for parents interested in transracial adoption. Note: we are limited by MEPA/IEPA...could start with voluntary trainings perhaps

What should parents know before adopting transracially? LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH Parents’ biases must be examined Parents need to be prepared to help children navigate experiences of otherness RACE AND CULTURE MATTER Adoptees’ should be actively, meaningfully exposed to their cultures of origin Differences should be celebrated, not minimized

Limitations and Future Research Limited number of participants Participants were all international adoptees Class effects not examined

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Questions? Comments?

Thank you!