In Their Own Voices : Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories

Nearly forty years after researchers first sought to determine the effects, if any, on children adopted by families whose racial or ethnic background differed from their own, the debate over transracial adoption continues. In this collection of interviews conducted with black and biracial young adults who were adopted by white parents, the authors present the personal stories of two dozen individuals who hail from a wide range of religious, economic, political, and professional backgrounds. How does the experience affect their racial and social identities, their choice of friends and marital partners, and their lifestyles? In addition to interviews, the book includes overviews of both the history and current legal status of transracial adoption. Contents Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction PART I Legal Status, History,and Review of Empirical Work PART II Introduction Donna Francis Jessica Pelton Andrea Kimberly Stapert Shecara Laurie Goff Chantel Tremitiere Nicolle Tremitiere Yates Rachel Iris Aaliyah Rhonda Roorda Rev. Keith J. Bigelow Daniel Mennega Tage Larsen David T. Adams Dan O’Brien Seth D. Himrod Lester Smith Sr. Ned Pete Britton Perry Taalib Chip PART III In this collection of interviews conducted with black and biracial young adults who were adopted by white parents, the authors of this text present the personal stories of two dozen individuals who hail from a wide range of backgrounds. Pt. I. Argument, Rhetoric, And Data For And Against Transracial Adoption -- Pt. Ii. Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories -- Pt. Iii. In Their Own Voices : Summary And Concluding Remarks. Rita J. Simon And Rhonda Roorda. Adoption is a legal process in which a child's legal rights and duties toward his natural parents are terminated and similar rights and duties are created toward the child's adoptive parents.