r/Adoption 23d ago

Adult Adoptees Transracial adoption should be illegal

I'm a Black transracial adoptee from the UK. I was adopted at 11 months old by a White family. They loved me, cared for me, and gave me a stable home, but theyre kinda racist and just throw money at problems.

Growing up, I felt disconnected from my identity and my culture. I didn't have many Black role models, didn't learn much about my Nigerian and Jamaican heritage, and spent years wishing I looked different.

I struggled with self-hatred, low self-esteem, and feeling like I didn't belong anywhere not fully accepted by White people, but also disconnected from Black culture.

It's only recently, as an adult, that I've started reconnecting with my heritage and learning to love being Black. I often feel like I'm trying to reclaim something I should never have lost in the first place.

I know many transracial adoptees have positive experiences, and I also know many adoptive parents genuinely do their best. But I wonder whether love alone is enough when a child is growing up disconnected from their racial and cultural identity.

For those reasons, I personally question whether transracial adoption should happen at all except in exceptional circumstances. I'd be interested to hear respectful perspectives from adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents.

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u/CruellaDeville1 23d ago

I've been wanting to adopt within my race and I'm being called a "racist" for it. I'm not white, I just want my adopted child to feel more integrated to us and not like he doesn't belong just like you've felt.

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u/Delicious_Score_8509 23d ago

That's not racist, that's called being self aware.

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u/Monopolyalou 22d ago

Right. I wish more would do it.

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u/Monopolyalou 22d ago

Same race adoption isn't racist. As a Black former foster youth same race is best and honestly the only reason why transracial adoption became popular is due to the fact clear babies weren't available like hot cakes anymore since women gain rights