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I agree with you on the first part, but it would still matter post-racial society or not. It is inherent that people are tribal and seek to belong, and the closest one can get to people like themselves, the more comfortable they are.
So, a baby with a long nose should be placed with adoptive parents who have long noses? Red-haired children with redhead parents? A fat baby with fat parents? How far does such superficiality extend?
There is nothing superficial about genetic roots. Roots are our foundation, they help us understand something of ourselves.
I do not know a single person who hasn't ruminated a good deal of their life about where they came from and their family lineage.
So, a baby with a long nose should be placed with adoptive parents who have long noses? Red-haired children with redhead parents? A fat baby with fat parents? How far does such superficiality extend?
There is nothing superficial about genetic roots. Roots are our foundation, they help us understand something of ourselves.
I do not know a single person who hasn't ruminated a good deal of their life about where they came from and their family lineage.
Ah, so you would try to place children whose ancestry is Italian with Italian adoptive parents? Children whose ancestry is Ethiopian with Ethiopian adoptive parents and not, for example, Angolan ones if possible? Not allow a Korean baby to be adopted by Thai parents if possible?
It just came up on another thread that some African American social workers are opposed to interracial adoption. It was suggested they'd rather black children stay in foster homes than be adopted by white couples.
I was wondering - without prejudice aforethought - how African American USMB members feel about the issue.
Of course, it is an interesting question for any of our members of any 'race.' The question can be imagined for any combination of would-be parents and children up for adoption.
The facts are that most white people cannot prepare a Black child for what they are going to experience in this society. They simply have no frame of reference. What a black couple knows simply through experience a white couple would have to take the equivalent of the hours needed to obtain a BA or BS or more and still not be able to cover everything. However, if a Black couple cannot be found then the child should go to the next qualified adoptive parent. I agree with Penny(!) that it should be as close culturally to the child's reality as possible. A foster home can be a great place but I think the status of being adopted as opposed to being fostered is significant to these kids. Using horror stories about foster, adoptive, and biological parents is not fair as all have their issues. These social workers are educated in their field and they know this reality. If they are picking foster homes over adoptive homes then they are to be trusted as they know whats best for the child.
The facts are that most white people cannot prepare a Black child for what they are going to experience in this society. They simply have no frame of reference. What a black couple knows simply through experience a white couple would have to take the equivalent of the hours needed to obtain a BA or BS or more and still not be able to cover everything. However, if a Black couple cannot be found then the child should go to the next qualified adoptive parent. I agree with Penny(!) that it should be as close culturally to the child's reality as possible. A foster home can be a great place but I think the status of being adopted as opposed to being fostered is significant to these kids. Using horror stories about foster, adoptive, and biological parents is not fair as all have their issues. These social workers are educated in their field and they know this reality. If they are picking foster homes over adoptive homes then they are to be trusted as they know whats best for the child.
Really, can you cite these supposed "facts" that you claim to exist?The facts are that most white people cannot prepare a Black child for what they are going to experience in this society. They simply have no frame of reference. What a black couple knows simply through experience a white couple would have to take the equivalent of the hours needed to obtain a BA or BS or more and still not be able to cover everything. However, if a Black couple cannot be found then the child should go to the next qualified adoptive parent. I agree with Penny(!) that it should be as close culturally to the child's reality as possible. A foster home can be a great place but I think the status of being adopted as opposed to being fostered is significant to these kids. Using horror stories about foster, adoptive, and biological parents is not fair as all have their issues. These social workers are educated in their field and they know this reality. If they are picking foster homes over adoptive homes then they are to be trusted as they know whats best for the child.
Not Exactly What AssHat Said said:The facts are that most black people cannot prepare a white child for what they are going to experience in this society. They simply have no frame of reference. What a white couple knows simply through experience a black couple would have to take the equivalent of the hours needed to obtain a BA or BS or more and still not be able to cover everything. However, if a white couple cannot be found then the child should go to the next qualified adoptive parent. I agree with Penny(!) that it should be as close culturally to the child's reality as possible. A foster home can be a great place but I think the status of being adopted as opposed to being fostered is significant to these kids. Using horror stories about foster, adoptive, and biological parents is not fair as all have their issues. These social workers are educated in their field and they know this reality. If they are picking foster homes over adoptive homes then they are to be trusted as they know whats best for the child.
So, a baby with a long nose should be placed with adoptive parents who have long noses? Red-haired children with redhead parents? A fat baby with fat parents? How far does such superficiality extend?
There is nothing superficial about genetic roots. Roots are our foundation, they help us understand something of ourselves.
I do not know a single person who hasn't ruminated a good deal of their life about where they came from and their family lineage.
Ah, so you would try to place children whose ancestry is Italian with Italian adoptive parents? Children whose ancestry is Ethiopian with Ethiopian adoptive parents and not, for example, Angolan ones if possible? Not allow a Korean baby to be adopted by Thai parents if possible?
Proponents of transracial adoption argue that transracial adoption is a preferable alternative to foster care. In the United States the majority of families wishing to adopt a child are white, and about half of the adoptable children in foster care are black (The New Republic, 1994). A simple solution would be to place the black children into the homes of white people, but the controversy over race-mixing has kept thousands of black children in foster care, though many white families are willing to adopt them. The National Association of Black Social Workers has discouraged the transracial adoption process by calling it "cultural genocide" (The New Republic, 1994). Other black groups, such as The National Association for Advancement of Colored People protested the statement and adopted a resolution to support it. The case in favor of transracial adoption comes primarily from empirical studies. Studies have repeatedly found that transracial adoption is a good situation for the children and families (Simon&Altstein, 1996). One study found that children made as successful an adjustment in their adoptive homes as other non-white chidren had in prior studies. According to this study's results, seventy-seven percent of the children had adjusted successfully. Other studies have also shown that the foster care system produces adults who are developmentally disabled, socially isolated, highly unemployed, and are over-represented in the homeless population (Taylor&Thornton, 1996).
Opponents of transracial adoption are concerned that black children will lose their racial identity if they're adopted by white parents. They also claim that black children will lose their cultural, physical, and psychological identity if adopted by parents of another race. The National Association of Black Social Workers is one group opposed to the placement of black children into white homes. This group is opposed to transracial adoption for these reasons: 1) to preserve African-American families and culture; 2) to enable black children to appreciate their origin by living with a family of the same race; 3) to enable black children to learn to cope with racism and learn how to function around it; and 4) to help make it easier for African-American families to adopt. Many black groups believe that if black children, who have not yet established a sense of racial identity, are adopted into white families, they will have diffuculty coping with prejudice and discrimination. Those without a strong sense of racial identity may internalize racist behavior directed toward them, resulting in a variety of negative outcomes, such as psychological distress (The New Republic, 1994). Also, individuals with poorly developed racial identity may become isolated. They may reject their black peers, while at the same time may never feel socially accepted by their white peers.
Really, can you cite these supposed "facts" that you claim to exist?The facts are that most white people cannot prepare a Black child for what they are going to experience in this society. They simply have no frame of reference. What a black couple knows simply through experience a white couple would have to take the equivalent of the hours needed to obtain a BA or BS or more and still not be able to cover everything. However, if a Black couple cannot be found then the child should go to the next qualified adoptive parent. I agree with Penny(!) that it should be as close culturally to the child's reality as possible. A foster home can be a great place but I think the status of being adopted as opposed to being fostered is significant to these kids. Using horror stories about foster, adoptive, and biological parents is not fair as all have their issues. These social workers are educated in their field and they know this reality. If they are picking foster homes over adoptive homes then they are to be trusted as they know whats best for the child.
Let us slightly change your words and see if you agree that the statement is racist.
Not Exactly What AssHat Said said:The facts are that most black people cannot prepare a white child for what they are going to experience in this society. They simply have no frame of reference. What a white couple knows simply through experience a black couple would have to take the equivalent of the hours needed to obtain a BA or BS or more and still not be able to cover everything. However, if a white couple cannot be found then the child should go to the next qualified adoptive parent. I agree with Penny(!) that it should be as close culturally to the child's reality as possible. A foster home can be a great place but I think the status of being adopted as opposed to being fostered is significant to these kids. Using horror stories about foster, adoptive, and biological parents is not fair as all have their issues. These social workers are educated in their field and they know this reality. If they are picking foster homes over adoptive homes then they are to be trusted as they know whats best for the child.
And, conversely, I have to wonder how many people would want white children placed in black homes.
Wouldn't bother me; would you expect it to bother many people?
Most of the cases that Ive heard of where a white child is adopted by African American parents have come from foster care adoptions where the black family was fostering the child first. They are similar to the case of Mary Riley, a 68 year old African American Georgia widow, who is the mom to three active white boys she adopted from foster care after fostering them for two years. They were 5, 7 and 9 when they came to live with her.
OK, this should clear up your references to social workers:
When I said 'blacks don't want whites adopting black children' you asked for studies. This one, admittedly, is old, but sorry, I won't subscribe to professional journals for a message board. There are other studies. And I know some of the social workers personally. That is how I learned about this.
Proponents of transracial adoption argue that transracial adoption is a preferable alternative to foster care. In the United States the majority of families wishing to adopt a child are white, and about half of the adoptable children in foster care are black (The New Republic, 1994). A simple solution would be to place the black children into the homes of white people, but the controversy over race-mixing has kept thousands of black children in foster care, though many white families are willing to adopt them. The National Association of Black Social Workers has discouraged the transracial adoption process by calling it "cultural genocide" (The New Republic, 1994). Other black groups, such as The National Association for Advancement of Colored People protested the statement and adopted a resolution to support it. The case in favor of transracial adoption comes primarily from empirical studies. Studies have repeatedly found that transracial adoption is a good situation for the children and families (Simon&Altstein, 1996). One study found that children made as successful an adjustment in their adoptive homes as other non-white chidren had in prior studies. According to this study's results, seventy-seven percent of the children had adjusted successfully. Other studies have also shown that the foster care system produces adults who are developmentally disabled, socially isolated, highly unemployed, and are over-represented in the homeless population (Taylor&Thornton, 1996).
Opponents of transracial adoption are concerned that black children will lose their racial identity if they're adopted by white parents. They also claim that black children will lose their cultural, physical, and psychological identity if adopted by parents of another race. The National Association of Black Social Workers is one group opposed to the placement of black children into white homes. This group is opposed to transracial adoption for these reasons: 1) to preserve African-American families and culture; 2) to enable black children to appreciate their origin by living with a family of the same race; 3) to enable black children to learn to cope with racism and learn how to function around it; and 4) to help make it easier for African-American families to adopt. Many black groups believe that if black children, who have not yet established a sense of racial identity, are adopted into white families, they will have diffuculty coping with prejudice and discrimination. Those without a strong sense of racial identity may internalize racist behavior directed toward them, resulting in a variety of negative outcomes, such as psychological distress (The New Republic, 1994). Also, individuals with poorly developed racial identity may become isolated. They may reject their black peers, while at the same time may never feel socially accepted by their white peers.
Transracial Adoption: what do the proponents and opponents say? - Oakland Mental Health | Examiner.com
I agree with whomever said that they should not work in social services if they are going to make decisions based on race.
And, conversely, I have to wonder how many people would want white children placed in black homes.
And, conversely, I have to wonder how many people would want white children placed in black homes.
Wouldn't bother me; would you expect it to bother many people?
I don't know. I don't have a dog in the hunt. Just a question. My husband and I prepared documents stating who we wanted raising our children if we predeceased them. My daughter and her husband have done the same. Everyone should do that. Of course, many adopted children have not lost parents due to death, they have lost children because they abused or neglected them.
I might add that if both parents predecease their children, the appointment of a custodial person is ENTIRELY a court decision. But if you have been proactive, they will usually respect your wishes.
