Cross-Cultural Adoption

by Coughlin, Amy

• ISBN13: 9780895260925
• ISBN10: 0895260921
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-08-01
• Publisher: Lifeline Pr

Summary

Written as a guidebook for adult relatives and friends of adoptive families, this book puts the power of information where kids seek it most--in the mouths of their parents and caregivers.

Author Biography

Amy Coughlin is an adoptive mom, a lawyer, teacher, and writer. She lives in Center City, Philadelphia, with her husband, Rich, and their two daughters, Audrey and Natalie Caryn Abramowitz is a freelance writer and editor. She is a lawyer by trade and the author of many legal and other types of articles in a variety of publications. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Andy, and their daughter, Chloe

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
The Questions Kids Ask
What does "adopted" mean?	p. 5
Where is she from?	p. 7
Why did they go all the way over there to adopt a child?	p. 9
Who are her "real" parents?	p. 11
Why didn't her "real" parents want her?	p. 13
Was she abandoned?	p. 15
Why does she look different?	p. 17
Is she my real cousin?	p. 19
Where was she before she was adopted?	p. 21
Why didn't they just have one of their own?	p. 23
Why are there so many little girls, and not as many boys?	p. 25
Did she have a different name when she was born?	p. 27
How much did they pay for her?	p. 29
Will she be able to understand me and speak English?	p. 31
What if they want to give her back?	p. 33
What if she wants to leave them and go back to her birth parents?	p. 35
Will she remember where she was born or who her birth parents were?	p. 37
Won't she feel sad when she finds out she's adopted?	p. 39
Do's and Don'ts for Grown-Ups
Do's
Do treat her like any other kid	p. 45
Do support her when curious strangers ask questions	p. 46
Do respect her privacy	p. 48
Do treat prospective adoptive parents the same as expectant parents	p. 49
Do acknowledge and celebrate the differences	p. 50
Don'ts
Don't introduce her as adopted	p. 53
Don't say how "lucky" she is	p. 55
Don't assume adoption is a second choice	p. 56
Don't jump to conclusions about the birth mother	p. 57
Don't tell us we're sure to have "our own" now	p. 58
Want to Know More About Her Birth Country?
The People's Republic of China	p. 65
Russia	p. 77
The Republic of Guatemala	p. 85
The Republic of Korea (a.k.a. South Korea)	p. 93
The Republic of Kazakhstan	p. 101
Ukraine	p. 107
The Republic of India	p. 115
Socialist Republic of Vietnam	p. 123
The Republic of Colombia	p. 133
The Republic of Haiti	p. 141
Resources for Learning More About Adoption	p. 149
Acknowledgements	p. 153
Index	p. 155
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.