White Parents, Black Children

Experiencing Transracial Adoption

By (author) Darron T. Smith, Cardell K. Jacobson, Brenda G. Juárez Foreword by Joe R. Feagin

Not available to order

Publication date:

16 November 2011

Length of book:

176 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442207646

White Parents, Black Children looks at the difficult issue of race in transracial adoptions—particularly the adoption by white parents of children from different racial and ethnic groups. Despite the long history of troubled and fragile race relations in the United States, some people believe the United States may be entering a post-racial state where race no longer matters, citing evidence like the increasing number of transracial adoptions to make this point. However, White Parents, Black Children argues that racism remains a factor for many children of transracial adoptions. Black children raised in white homes are not exempt from racism, and white parents are often naive about the experiences their children encounter. This book aims to bring to light racial issues that are often difficult for families to talk about, focusing on the racial socialization white parents provide for their transracially adopted children about what it means to be black in contemporary American society. Blending the stories of adoptees and their parents with extensive research, the authors discuss trends in transracial adoptions, challenge the concept of 'colorblind' America, and offer suggestions to help adoptees develop a healthy sense of self.

Foreword by Joe R. Feagin
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Transracial Adoption: Considering Family, Home, and Love, and the Paradoxes of Race Matters
Chapter 2: Contextualizng Transracial Adoption: Demographic Trends, Introducing the Families
Chapter 3: Transracial Adoption, White Racial Knowledge, and the Trouble with “Love is Enough”
Chapter 4: Research on Transracial Adoption: What Do We Know?
Chapter 5: Cross-Cultural Race Pioneers: White Adoptive Parents Learning and Not Learning about Race
Chapter 6: White Parents Teaching Black Children about Race
Chapter 7: Addressing Race with Your Children: Practical Advice for White Adoptive Parents
Appendix A: A Note about Our Methods and Methodology
Appendix B: Transracial Adoption in the 2000 Census and the National Survey of Adoptive Paernts (2007)
Notes
References
Index
About the Authors

An absolutely unique and badly-needed examination of transracial adoption in a society divided by racism, White Parents, Black Children is sure to become the leading resource for persons concerned about the well-being of children of color growing up in white homes. This volume shows clearly the dangers and inadequacies of well-intended colorblindness on the part of white adoptive parents, and demonstrates that a deliberate race (and racism) consciousness on the part of those parents is an absolute must.