While recognizing these conflicts, the author succinctly and pointedly states one of the central ironies surrounding the issue: "Whites are chastised for their reluctance to adopt black children, but then those who do adopt black children are criticized for not being able to prepare black adoptees to face discrimination—or embrace their identities." This irony may largely account for the fact that black children are the "least desirable children" by white American adoptive parents.
Despite this statement, the article, at one point, implies that black children from Haiti may be "more desirable" to white American parents because there is a certain "degree of separation" between these children and the tenuous racial history of the US; they are still black, but may not seem so in the conscience of prospective parents. If this is the case, there is a paradigm shift in what race "is." Race is defined not by physical appearance, but by culture and place of birth. This is a groundbreaking assertion. However, the article does not discuss this point at length.
Instead, the article ends with note of the fact that Haitian children adopted into the US, regardless of the family that adopts them, will be labeled as African Americans by their society. As a result, they will have to endure the stereotypes that are placed on this group in this society. This is an interesting comment. It is often lost in the mix of thoughts along the lines of, "surely children adopted from Haiti to the US will have a better life in the US than in Haiti." This may well be the case, especially along material lines. However they will likely have to endure more racism in their everyday lives as well.
The US and its citizens need to recognize and mend that.
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