After writing about some of the truths about race and adoption that I have discovered since adopting transracially and, and sharing some of my personal thoughts and beliefs on race and adoption, I wanted to follow it up with some of my "strategies".

I think that in a nutshell, transracial adoptive parents have to walk the line between realism and optimism. Now let me explain.

I think that we have to be realistic. We have to be aware of the ugliness of racism and it's prevalence... more

In my last two posts I shared some of the truths about race and adoption that I have discovered as a transracial adoptive parent.

Today I want to share some more things that I feel to be true in regards to transracial adoption, however many of these are now my own personal thoughts, beliefs, feelings and ways of looking at things.

- Most transracial adoptive parents are aware of racial issues and are no longer turning a blind eye to them. While I could never say "all" transracial adoptive parents are educated and prepared, I do believe that transracial adoptive parents have... more

In my last post I started sharing some of the "truths" I have come to learn regarding race and transracial adoption. Here is the rest of my list. Please feel free to add to it by leaving a comment.

- Our kids are going to grow up. This may seem like a "duh" thing to say, but it's true. It is easy to parent a little black baby. He's cute, and people in the world see him with you and for the most part, people smile (and say dumb things), and think that he is cute. As parents, we are able to protect young children from much of the ugliness that is out there in the world.

However that... more

Issues involving race are never cut and dry, and are often emotional, complex and at times, overwhelming.

For transracial adoptive parents, or parents considering transracial adoption, there is much to think about and much to learn. Here are a few simple (or not so simple) truths regarding race and transracial adoption that I have come to learn, and that all transracial adoptive parents or those considering transracial adoption, should consider.

- Racism is real. It is alive and well in the United States today, and in many other countries, too. It happens every day in big obvious ways, but also in small subtle ways, like the cop who pulls over the black man in the fancy car... more

I have one more transracial adoption question from a reader to answer. If you have a question you would like answered or a topic related to transracial adoption that you would like to see answered, please leave a comment.

Today's question is:

What is the best way to integrate with a racial/cultural group that you have not had much interaction with in the past? (i.e. white parents adopting an African son)

Many different adoption experts and professionals reiterate that it is important for transracially adopted children to have people in their lives of their... more

In my last post I asked you, my readers, what questions you would like to see written about here on the transracial adoption blog. I have already gotten a good little list, but would love to see it added to, so if you have a transracial adoption question, please go leave me a comment.

The first question I am going to answer is one that is a common concern of transracial adoptive parents.

My son will be from Rwanda...so would you call him Rwandan-American, African-American, or just American?

Racial labels are a tough issue for several reasons.... more

We are up to the letter "R" in my Transracial Adoption ABCs series and today I am going to write about race.

Race - Race is a often a controversial topic. While when people use the word "race" as a way of grouping people by the color of their skin and their physical characteristics (and sometimes also by where they were born), most scientists agree that the idea of humans being broken into groups by race is merely a social construct, and... more

Usually when I write on this blog about transracial parenting, I am looking at and addressing transracial adoption issues from the viewpoint of a white adoptive parent with Asian and black children. That is because that is my reality, and because most often when we hear about transracial adoption, it is referring to white parents adopting Asian, Hispanic, black or other non-white children.

Today, thanks to a reader, I have a really cool article to share about "typical" transracial adoption in reverse. This article, titled, "Love is Colorblind", which was recently featured in the Detroit News,... more

Although I would venture to say that not all of us need the reminder, I think that it is important for transracial adoptive parents to think about racism often and to be reminded that it is alive and "well" in our country.

While there has been a lot of positive changes in racial attitudes, stereotypes and racism in society, there is still a long way to go until we can honestly say that we live in a country where all people are treated equal. (If you missed it, here is my post about the school in Georgia who just THIS YEAR had their first integrated prom.)

Here is yet another news... more

In my last two posts I have been discussing the fears many prospective adoptive parents have regarding transracial adoption and raising a child of another race, as well as some of the issues involved in being a transracial family.

Now I am going to tell you why, despite it all, I support transracial adoption.

As I sat in a hotel room in Africa, with so many things fresh in my mind, I wrote this post explaining in detail why I feel... more