I support transracial adoption.

I have stood in an orphanage in Vietnam and looked at babies four to a crib, lying there quietly, no longer bothering to cry when they needed something, with their names written in magic marker on their legs so they can be identified.

I have been in orphanages in Africa and held motherless babies, who beg you with their eyes not to put them down. I have had toddlers hanging off of every limb of my body, desperate for some personal attention and love, calling me "Mama" hopefully. I have talked with the older children who have seen so much loss and tragedy that it is hard to wrap my head around, and heard the hopelessness in their voices.

I have met kids in the foster care system. I have seen kids who have been "bounced" so many times that they have forgotten what it is like to have a place to call home, and what it is like to have someone that you know will always be there to look out for you and care for you.

Transracial adoption is about those kids. It is about kids who are at "last resort". They do not have birth families that can care for them. They do not have extended family or members of their community that can care for them. There are no parents of the same race who are waiting to adopt them. Their realistic options are to either grow up as an orphan or be adopted transracially.

When I talked with the older orphans in Ethiopia, they understood that if they were adopted, that their parents would most likely be white. They knew that life in America (or another country) would be very different than life in Ethiopia. They knew that they would have to learn a new language, eat new foods and learn new customs. They knew that there were many things that they would miss about life in Ethiopia and that they would be leaving everything that was familiar to them. They knew that they would miss many people that would be left behind. They knew that there would be many changes and some admitted to being somewhat nervous about it all.

And yet, they still asked hopefully every time they saw an agency worker or volunteer if they had an adoptive family yet. The children who were told "no" were disappointed and sad. The children who were told "yes" rejoiced! I delivered letters and photos to children from their adoptive families. Letters were read and pictures were studied, and then they were shown off, as the children proudly showed their friends the photos of their new families, homes and pets.

These children were not upset that their new families were white. These children were excited to have parents again. They were excited to know that they were starting a new life, where an education and medical care would be available, and where they would once again be loved, cared for, safe, secure and have a place to belong. They were thrilled to no longer be just another orphan, and to once again be a part of a family.

That is what transracial adoption should be about.

More reading:

Why I Support Transracial Adoption

Transracial/International Adoption Debate- My Thoughts