Inside Transracial Adoption

by Steinberg, Gail

• ISBN13: 9780944934241
• ISBN10: 0944934242
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Perspectives Pr

Summary

At last! The co-directors of Pact: An Adoption Alliance offer their dynamic organization's cutting edge tools for fostering honesty and authenticity in matters of adoption and race. Acknowledging white identity issues for transracial adopters and demonstrating predictable milestones in the journey toward adulthood for transracially-adopted infants, preschoolers, school-age children, teens and young adults, Inside Transracial Adoption offers provocative information, valuable resources and practical tools to support families in fostering the development of racial identity of children of color and in the strengthening of family connections. An early reader commented "Singularly this book has given me more hope about parenting (my daughter) than all the social workers, therapists and teachers have put together. I wept tears of relief as I read this book. Not only did you name it, but you truly understand what living with a transracially adopted child is like. And! you give suggestions and solutions!!! Thank you!"

Table of Contents

The Challenges of Transracial Adoption	1	(26)
The I---You Bridge	2	(3)
The Experts Speak Out	5	(2)
How to Use This Book	7	(1)
Our Perspective on Transracial Adoption	8	(2)
Identifying the Real Issues	10	(1)
Race=Adoption	11	(1)
Personality Issues	12	(2)
Acknowledging Differences	14	(4)
Negative Reactions from Communities of Color	18	(3)
Our Working Definitions	21	(4)
Useful Books	25	(2)
Racial Identity	27	(72)
Protecting My Child from Her Mom, A Racist	28	(3)
The Experts Speak Out	31	(3)
Racial Identity: For People of Color	34	(2)
Racial Identity: For White People	36	(2)
Facing the Issues: Race	38	(13)
Respecting Feelings	51	(9)
Strategies: Seeking Diversity	60	(11)
Strategies: Concrete tools for Operating in a Racist World	71	(25)
Useful Books	96	(3)
Family matters	99	(92)
Together. No Matter What	100	(3)
The Experts Speak Out	103	(2)
Strengthening Family Identity	105	(23)
Parenting in Adoption	128	(10)
Birth Family	138	(5)
Extended Family	143	(5)
Siblings in Adoptive families	148	(7)
``You are soooooo special.'' One-Child Families	155	(2)
Families that Grow through Birth plus Adoption	157	(2)
International Adoptive Families	159	(9)
Single-Parent Transracial Families	168	(2)
Gay and Lesbian Families	170	(2)
Religious Choices and Beliefs	172	(4)
Providing for Your Childis Future	176	(1)
When Family Members Have Special Needs and Issues	177	(11)
Useful Books	188	(3)
Through Development's Lens	191	(90)
All in a Name	192	(3)
The Experts Speak Out	195	(3)
Sorting Out the Issues	198	(1)
Infants	199	(17)
Preschoolers	216	(16)
School-Agers	232	(21)
Teens	253	(19)
Our Children Are Our Children Forever	272	(5)
Useful books	277	(4)
Cultural Specifics in Focus	281	(96)
Belonging or Be-Longing?	282	(3)
The Experts Speak Out	285	(2)
Building a Foundation	287	(3)
Who Defines Normal?---White Identity	290	(11)
One Drop Rules---African American identity Issues	301	(23)
Racism and Rice---Asian Identity issues	324	(15)
Mi Familia, Mi Corazon---Latino Identity Issues	339	(10)
Being Seen---native American Identity Issues	349	(6)
More than a Box---Biracial and Multiracial Identity Issues	355	(11)
Claiming Identity---Whatever the Culture	366	(4)
Useful Books	370	(7)
Parting Thoughts	377	(8)
And so it goes	378	(1)
A Transracially-Adopted Child's Bill of Rights	379	(1)
A Transracial Adoptive Parent's Wish List	380	(1)
Conclusions	381	(2)
Test Your Knowledge	383	(2)
Acknowledgments	385	(2)
Index	387	(10)
About Pact, An Adoption Alliance	397	(4)
About Perspectives Press	401	(2)
About the Authors	403