The September issue of Rainbowkids online magazine is now up, and as always, there is a great selection of articles. My favorite this month is titled “Finding the Balance in Adoption” and is written by Susan Soon Keum Cox. This is a fantastic article on transracial adoption.

If you haven’t heard of Susan Soon Keum Cox before, here is here bio from the bottom of the article…

"Susan, adopted from Korea in 1956, is the Vice President for Public Policy and External Affairs at Holt International Children’s Services, the world’s largest adoption agency. As an adoption professional since 1978, she has directed heritage camps, motherland tours to Korea, and was founder of the International Gathering of Korean Adoptees. She is a member of the Hague Special Commission on Intercountry Adoption, and was appointed to the first White House Commission on Asian and Pacific Islanders. Susan is a nationally recognized presenter and editor of Voices from Another Place.

I have read quite a few things from Susan in the past, and always appreciate what she has to say. This article is no exception.

This article discusses the importance of embracing a child’s heritage and culture in international and transracial adoption. It gives several key things for parents to consider before adopting transracially or internationally and makes the important point that adoption, and especially international adoption, is not for everyone. Susan discusses identity struggles in adoptees and the importance of early memories, but does so with an optimistic and realistic approach.

I love this quote from the article…

“Both adopted people and parents need to remember that character is more important than ethnicity. Adopted people do not have to choose between their ethnic heritage and the culture of their new family, rather, they must find the balance of both in their lives.”

She ends the article with this great quote…

“Those of us who believe in the merits of adoption , who care about the future for the thousands of children who, were it not for an adoptive family, would never know family at all, must pledge our solidarity to making adoption more encompassing, more "real." Adoption is not second-best; the feelings involved in love and family are the same and it is the adopted people themselves who affirm that when they come to peace with the balance of adoption in their lives. And by recognizing the additional challenges and opportunities of helping internationally- and trans-ethnically-adopted people to retain both their personal memories and their cultural familiarity, we can help them realize and cherish the fullness of their identity and place in the world.”

I love the fact that this article gives important things to think about, addresses issues that adoptees may have, etc. and yet does so in a positive and uplifting way. Thanks Susan for a great article!