Comments on: Black Mother White Adopted Daughter

By: Christy

Christy — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:13:23 +0000

I was adopted, by black parents. It was fine. I think it makes me more well-rounded and able to see both sides, of the race issue. It sucks, though, when people ask me why I’m white and if I wish my parents were white and why they’re black. One of my brothers is white and one is black. I didn’t tell my prom date, once and he came to pick me up and my dad answered and he started leaving and my dad asked if he was taking his daughter and my date said “no” and my dad had to explain, what I’d forgotten. And, I have been excluded from a few birthday parties and gotten funny looks, when I babysit for my parents’ friends and when I hang-out with my brother or parents, but it’s usually fine. My brother likes white girls and he gets frustrated, when they don’t like him back and then, he asks me all these questions about white people, that I can’t answer, because I don’t know the answers. And, everybody had a comment, when they find-out the kid with my last name’s my brother. But, I was socialized “white”, so I dress white, talk white, and listen to white music. It was harder, when I was younger, but it’s normal, now. I don’t know any different, so I can’t compare.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:22:39 +0000

I know some countries are restricting international adoptions on the grounds that it takes away the child’s culture (a report suggests that you should learn Chinese if you want to adopt a Chinese child, but maybe I misunderstand). But it doesn’t sound like womana is very racially insensitive. How would she raise a white child to be black anyway — feed her black walnuts?

By: Rachel S.

Rachel S. — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:15:26 +0000

danucal said, “When they put Stacey in Regina’s custody they probably felt they were sacrificing her, equalizing her socially and culturally with her new family, instead of giving her “the best” opportunities by moving her into a white home.”

Yeah, they probably did, but I find it interesting (but not surprising) that the reporter for this story could find one person to admit that.

By: jd

jd — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:27:27 +0000

My favorite part was when someone asked if the adoptive mother was going to learn how to clean white hair. Wasn’t this girl 9 years old when she was adopted? Wouldn’t she have already known how to wash her own hair? (And seriously, washing white hair? Is that supposed to be difficult?)

By: danucal

danucal — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 05:56:11 +0000

From my point of view it has alot to do with not only race, but privilege. The people who allowed Stacey to be adopted would have to concede, at least in their own minds, that one of the reasons they were so wary is because Black people are more disadvantaged in this society than whites are. Not less hard working, not less worthy, just more likely to be looked over, and pushed aside. When they put Stacey in Regina’s custody they probably felt they were sacrificing her, equalizing her socially and culturally with her new family, instead of giving her “the best” opportunities by moving her into a white home.

Your thoughts on the differences between race and culture, and how they are incorrectly defined-at least in this situation-really made me think.

By: SamChevre

SamChevre — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:00:37 +0000

I find the notion of “white food” rather funny.

Poor, rural Southerners eat pretty much the same things, whether they are black or white. All the stereotypically black foods I can think of are things I grew up eating (except chitlins, which my mother thought were disgusting–but our neighbors ate them) in an all-white but extremely poor county in East Tennessee.

By: curiousgyrl

curiousgyrl — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:50:57 +0000

I love the assumption that this mom should raise her to be white. I dont think she can, and thats a good thing. I hope she cant anyway.