How Does Trans-Racial Adoption Affect A Child's Racial Identity?

As a Family Science major I was interested in many of the different research projects that are going on right now in my school. One of the studies that stuck out to me the most was one about trans-racial adoption and how both the parents and children are affected by it. I have always been interested in the process of adoption so this seemed like a very interesting take on it to me. I got many opinions on trans-racial adoption in general and how it could possibly affect the way a child feels about his/her racial identity as they grow up.

In today's world, approximately 40% of all adoptions in America are trans-racial.

A trans-racial adoption involves an adult adopting a child of a different race than their own; the most common example is a white American couple adopting a child from a minority race. There have been studies over recent decades about how being adopted into a family of a different racial background than their own affects how children grow up and identify themselves later on in life. Dr. Christine Schull is a professor in the Family Science school at the University of Maryland and specializes in studying children. When asked about her thoughts on trans-racial adoption and the affects that it has on the child she explains that it tends to only have negative affects when it is not addressed.

In the past white couples were urged to adopt children of a different race.

In the 1960's, trans-racial adoptions were becoming increasingly popular and adoption agencies actually started to encourage white families to adopt children from other races. Then in 1972 the National Association of Black Social Workers passed a resolution, which is still in effect today, that was against the adoption of black children by white parents because they believed that it was harmful to black heritage and by 1987, 35 states had established policies that is against cross-racial adoption. When asked her thoughts on trans-racial adoption, Genevieve explains that children of a different race than their adoptive parents do not go through much more identity crises than that of children of the same race.

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Studies have shown a low percentage of young black children who are adopted by white families have problems with racial identity. 

Others have found that preschool children that are involved in trans-racial adoptions are just as well adjusted as those children from same-race adoptions. Children adopted trans-racially from infancy until beyond adolescence tend not to have problems identifying as their own ethnicity and are, for the most part, well-adjusted. Jonathan gives his opinion about trans-racial adoption, stating that the most important thing for the child is having a loving family and environment.

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Overall, most people agree that trans-racial adoption does not negatively affect the children any more than it does the children in a same race adoption situation. Giving a child a nice home in a good environment with a loving family is the most important part of adoption and the race of the child should not be factored into who to adopt.