Also, the parents do not experience as harsh racism as the child, however, parents do receive some discrimination. Ronnie Diamond says, "Parents must understand that they"re not white parents with a black or Asian child, but they've become an interracial and multicultural family" (Lang 2).
People opposed to transracial adoption think that children adopted internationally will face physical and emotional sorrow. Foreign children will suffer by not knowing their true identity without their culture, history and language. Jeannie Marshall*, a Korean orphan, was one of the first international adoptions in the 1950's. She says, "growing up and even as a young adult, she always felt "different" and "not as good as white people"" (St. Martin 1). Back in that time period, people believed that because the children were part of a white family that they should be brought up to be like the white culture. Marshall says, "I wish I had been brought up to be proud of my heritage. It makes life so much easier" (qtd. In St. Martin 1). One of the most widely used arguments against transracial adoption is that white parents are unprepared to teach their children the survival skills they will need to live in a racist culture.
Fortunately for children, the majority of adoptive parents today try to make the adopted children's heritage a part of the whole family. "Today adoption advocates agree that embracing the birth culture of these children is vital for parents raising kids from a race or culture other than their own" (Dickinson 1). For example, Mary and Tom Coyle adopted two children from Korea, now three and four, and they are dealing with racial issues by: .
Viewing her children's heritage as one to be celebrated: the family celebrates Korean holidays, eats Korean foods and spends time with Korean people. The parents are learning about Korea and its culture. The children have joined a playgroup for Korean children and when they are of kindergarten age, will begin attending a Saturday cultural school where they will learn to speak Hangul (the Korean language), as well as "the culture, language, history and cooking practices of their homeland.
