It seems that in the media, transracial adoption (whether domestic or international) is often made out to be either trendy, the new "hip" thing to do, or, taboo, morally wrong in every way.

Many of us have seen the countless articles on international adoption that seem to be everywhere every time Angelina Jolie, Madonna or another big star adopts. These articles tend to have very little factual information in regards to adoption. Many of them "hint" that unethical practices are going on, without any facts or research. These articles also typically make it sound like to adopt a child, all you have to do is get yourself to a country and "shop" for a child.

There was lots of hype a while back about a t-shirt that likened adoption to "the new black" (the must-have fashion accessory), and I know oodles of parents who have adopted from Ethiopia that will scream if they hear yet again the question, "Did you do it to be like Angelina?"

On the other side, you have all sorts of blogs, websites and articles that paint a picture of transracial adoption as being taboo. It's baby selling. It's human trafficking. It's morally wrong to put a black child in a white family, and on and on.

They make it sound like in all adoptions everywhere, young, innocent pregnant woman are having their babies taken from them or that babies are being bought from poor families. They paint a picture of all adoptive parents being selfish, moral-less, baby-hungry monsters who don't care a lick about their child's birth family, country or culture.

They say that transracial adoption is wrong, unnatural and shouldn't occur.

There is quite a difference in opinion out there, and it can all be mind boggling, especially for adoptive parents and prospective adoptive parents.

So, is transracial adoption trendy, taboo or neither?

I am going to write more about each side and offer my conclusion in my next few posts. Please chime in!

More Reading:
Adoption: Selfish or Saving a Child?

Why Doesn't White Adopt Black?

Moral Adoption Questions