Native-American Transracial Adoptees

In Native American history, in both North- and South America and in the history of other indigenous

peoples around the world, a lot of children have been adopted out of their culture (just like me).

Sometimes this was done with the consent of the birth-parents and sometimes even without.

Most adoptive parents are either of European or American-European descent and they are well

meaning and loving people . Most of the children come from families that are not able to give them

the support they need because they themselves are struggling with downright poverty or other

circumstances that prevent them from looking after their children in a way that benefits the child.

Indigenous peoples in general are often marginalized and don’t get the chance to participate in the

dominant culture of their countries due to the eurocentric view that has become mainstream around

the world. This leads to a variety of problems like alcoholism, domestic violence and crime.

The chance to grow up in a healthy and loving family in a secure neighborhood and to get a good

education is one of the “advantages” a lot of the adoptees mention when asked about transracial

adoption. But what most of them will also tell you is that the loss of their own culture is a reason for

constant grief throughout their whole lives. This is one of the main reasons for them to start looking

for their birth-families. And those who do reunite with their first parents and culture can tell you that

it makes them feel like they finally found their place in life and the hole in their hearts starts healing.

Identity crises is something that ALL adoptees experience throughout their lives, but for interracial

adoptees it is a double loss of birth-family and of their native culture.

Trying to find out about their roots is NOT because they don’t love their (adoptive) parents and it

doesn’t alienate them from each other. It is even said that it makes the relationship better, because

the adoptees finally know who they are.

Never having the chance to meet people that look like you and act like you is like

growing up without ever looking into a mirror. How are you supposed to know who you are?

.

The book contains twenty interviews with adoptees of Native-American descent and you can get it here.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 at 10:52 pm. It is filed under Inspired and tagged with adoptee, adoptees, Adoption, Indigenous, indigenous adoptees, interracial adoptees, lost birds, native adoptees, transracial adoptees. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.