Discursive Entwinement: How White Transracially Adoptive Parents Navigate Race

Abstract

Through 47 interviews with 56 White parents who attend culture camps, the authors analyze race discourse and practices in transracially adoptive families. The authors document parents’ use of two discursive frames, colorblindness and race consciousness, and find that small subsamples of parents use either race consciousness or colorblindness exclusively, while the majority (66 percent) entwine the two discursive frames together. Because the sample is drawn from culture camps, which emphasize race and ethnicity, this sample begins with some degree of racial attunement. As such, the continued presence of colorblindness among the sample indicates the deep rootedness of White hegemonic logic. However, the emergence of race consciousness indicates the potential for White transracially adoptive families to engage race critically. Moreover, the analyses draw a clear line between how parents articulate racial understandings in their interviews and the ways parents report talking about race and racism with their children. These findings are directly relevant to ongoing debates about the ethics of transracial adoption and racial identity development among transracial adoptees. More generally, these findings speak to the ways Whites’ racial understandings are constrained, but not determined, by a history and biography of privilege.

Beyond Color‐Blind and Color‐Conscious: Approaches to Racial Socialization Among Parents of Transracially Adopted Children

“…However, even these studies lump parents into circumscribed groups, most commonly as color‐blind and color‐conscious . Those with a color‐blind orientation ignore race, minimize racial differences, or claim that paying attention to race further delegitimizes minority groups, whereas those who are color‐ or race‐conscious recognize race as a factor in both the individual and the public realms and understand that Whites hold a place of privilege (Goar, Davis, & Manago, ; Langrehr ). We argue that these two categories neglect the varied reasoning and behaviors within these groups and among individual parents themselves.…”

Beyond colour-blindness: Enhancing cultural and racial identity for adopted and fostered children in cross-cultural and transracial families

“…Culture-or colourblindness fails to take account of either racial or cultural diversity and should not be an option in transracial or cross-cultural adoptions and fostering. Thankfully, there are numerous examples of adoptive parents attempting to enhance cultural and racial identity, especially in intercountry adoption, but also in domestic adoptions (Crolley-Simic & Vonk, 2008;Gibbs, 2015;Goar et al, 2017;Heimsoth & Laser, 2008;Huh & Read, 2008;Morrison, 2004;Traver, 2012 ;Thomas & Tessler, 2007;Scherman & Harré, 2004). These studies and other material focused on concepts and models that help families become more culturally competent have direct relevance for adoptive and fostering parenting practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.…”

“…Research shows that, all too often, adoptive or foster parents see cultural or racial identity as unimportant (Goar, Davis, & Manago, 2017;Donaldson Institute, 2016). Parents also fear that emphasising difference might lead to problems with the development of a sense of belonging in the new family (Barn & Kirton, 2012).…”

“…There are challenges for adoptive parents and foster parents if they choose a path of "cultural consciousness" whereby they sensitively navigate unfamiliar terrain in their attempts to enhance and support their children's racial and cultural identities (Goar et al, 2017). Barriers include: a lack of proximity to racially and culturally diverse environments, particularly those belonging to their child's birth country; giving undue attention to the different background or heritage of the child and inadvertently making them feel so different that they feel they do not belong or are not wanted; a fear of being perceived of as tokenistic when attempting to learn some of the language or cultural practices of the child; and not wanting to force anything on the child if they are not expressing an explicit interest in learning about their cultural or racial heritage (Crolley-Simic & Vonk, 2008;Huh & Reid, 2000;LaFrombosie, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993;Scherman, 2010;Scherman & Harré, 2004;Wall, 2012).…”

“…Hence, foster and adoptive parents will need to make a proactive choice to gain knowledge and understanding about their child's heritage, and be willing to ask for help, for example with language learning, cultural protocols and world views. This requires determination and transparency, and it is easier for most parents to default to ignorance and a colour-blind approach which ultimately leads to cultural assimilation; this is one of the main reasons against transracial or cross-cultural adoption and fostering (Goar et al, 2017;Morrison, 2004). In Aotearoa New Zealand, HaengaCollins and Gibbs (2015) highlighted this for Máori in a study that explored the issues for Máori cross-cultural adoptees who wanted to reconnect and appreciate their birth cultural heritage.…”