While many proponents of transracial adoption claim that American
society is increasingly becoming "color-blind," a growing body of
research reveals that for transracial adoptees of all backgrounds,
racial identity does matter. Rhonda M. Roorda elaborates significantly
on that finding, specifically studying the effects of the adoption of
black and biracial children by white parents. She incorporates diverse
perspectives on transracial adoption by concerned black Americans of
various ages, including those who lived through Jim Crow and the Civil
Rights era. All her interviewees have been involved either personally or
professionally in the lives of transracial adoptees, and they offer
strategies for navigating systemic racial inequalities while affirming
the importance of black communities in the lives of transracial adoptive
families.
In Their Voices is for parents, child-welfare providers, social
workers, psychologists, educators, therapists, and adoptees from all
backgrounds who seek clarity about this phenomenon. The author examines
how social attitudes and federal policies concerning transracial
adoption have changed over the last several decades. She also includes
suggestions on how to revise transracial adoption policy to better
reflect the needs of transracial adoptive families.
Perhaps most important, In Their Voices is packed with advice for
parents who are invested in nurturing a positive self-image in their
adopted children of color and the crucial perspectives those parents
should consider when raising their children. It offers adoptees of color
encouragement in overcoming discrimination and explains why a
"race-neutral" environment, maintained by so many white parents, is not
ideal for adoptees or their families.
