Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Transracial Abduction


This website was actually linked in the previous article from The Root that I wrote about yesterday. It is rather disturbing. There isn't much on the site, but it is essentially a group of transracially adopted- "abducted"- people who feel that they have been exploited by the adoption system. They discuss feeling out of place in the United States. They felt racism and bigotry against them. They felt used by their adoptive families. They felt that their adoptions were used inappropriately in political ways. The very site that this site exists is indicative of the fact that adoption is not an easy subject. Adoption is inherently deeply tied to feelings, identity and self-image. It is a messy subject. While I am sure that these peoples' feelings are legitimate I believe that, more often than not, adoptive parents do have good intentions in adopting, and that these peoples' parents did too. It saddens me that people can be hurt so much by what were likely good intentions. However, since people are coming out of American adoptions feeling this way, we should as a nation and as people address these issues. I do not know how to address them completely, but a discussion of these feelings would be a start. 

I feel it is safe to say that these cases are not totally unique. Other adoptees may also feel that they have, in fact, been abducted. In the aftermath of the Earthquake in Haiti, as people seek to adopt internationally and transracially, this discussion is timely and necessary. Having more "abductees" as opposed to "adoptees" will not help anyone.  

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