While it might have been “just hair” to me, the emotions were far more tangled for them, with roots deep into the history of oppression between our two peoples.
8 Smart Diversity Strategies
Use these tips for building cultural diversity for children in your family, community, and school.
5 Ways to Talk with Your Child About Racism
Talking about racism makes most of us uncomfortable. Still, parents of transracially adopted children should resist the urge not to talk. Here’s how.
Saying No to Racism
You can offer your children support—and the tools they need to fight back.
Empowering Children and Teens of Color Who Face Racism
White parents do not have the experience of feeling vulnerable or targeted based on race, so telling a transracially adopted child “I know how you feel” isn’t right—but silence is also not the answer. Adoptees and experts discuss how parents should speak out and take action.
Becoming My Own Beauty Role Model
“Growing up, makeup felt like a mask—a cover-up for my true inner self.”
“How I Parent My Transracial Family”
Like all mixed race families in America, we face stereotyping as a matter of course. These six lessions have helped enrich my family.
When Adoption Travel is a Family Affair
Guess who’s coming with moms and dads on the adoption trip? Their moms and dads!
“Amanda’s Journey Home to Her Birth Country”
“You belong to two heritages-Jewish and Latin American-and at this special time in your life, when many Jewish families travel to the Mideast, we’re heading south.” More than a few heads turned when I announced this in my speech to my thirteen-year-old daughter, Amanda, on the occasion of her bat mitzvah.
Preparing Our Children to Talk About Race
When you form a transracial family, you must build in a system to combat racism.
Raising a Racially Ambiguous Child
We asked our reader panel: Have you ever been asked to explain your child’s ethnic identity? How do you respond?
“Our Passage to India”
Traveling to our daughters’ birth country allowed us to bond, both with their ethnic heritage and our fellow travelers.
“Visiting Our Son’s Birth Country: The Land of Contrasts”
“Make the trip, you won’t be sorry.” Our journey to our son’s birth country—and to visit his foster mother—was an exhilarating experience.
Race Matters at Pact Camp
A summer heritage camp that’s all about helping transracial families.
“Can Black Children Wear Watermelons?”
Many symbols commonly found on children’s clothing connote racist stereotypes of black people. Knowing this, should transracial adoptive parents still dress their black children in onesies and shirts featuring monkeys, zebras, and watermelons?
“Our Summer Vacation House Swap”
One summer, we traded our Hawaiian home for Berkeley, CA so our son could learn about more ethnic differences and similarities.
Heritage Camp: It’s for the Whole Family
I can’t imagine sending my children to an experience this profound without being with them.
“5 Things I Wish My White Parents Knew”
Transracial adoptees often grow up knowing that their families love them, but not truly feeling included or close to them. Here’s what would have helped in raising a black child in a white family and a racist world.
Dolls and Toys for Our Families
We asked readers, “Have you found any dolls or other toys that reflect your child’s race and/or birth culture that you would specifically recommend?” Here are the top picks.
Share Your Story: Adopting a Child of a Different Race
We asked AF readers to tell us about their experiences with transracial adoption.