Cultures of Transnational Adoption, edited by Toby Alice Volkman, illuminates unique and infrequently heard dimensions of adoption. These nine essays include an account by a translator for a group of adoptees making a return visit to Chile from their adopted home country of Sweden (I knew there were Korean-Swedish adoptees, but never knew that Chile was a main sending country to Sweden from 1974-1991).
There is a substantive and fascinating essay on young adult Korean adoptees returning to Korea for “cultural learning tours” often sponsored by the Korean government. The author shares the adoptees’ diverse opinions on whether they felt welcomed or exploited.
There is an essay on Brazilian patterns of unofficial, sometimes temporary adoption in which continued contact is expected. The author raises troubling questions as to whether birthmothers raised in this culture truly understand the finality of legally relinquishing their children.
There is an essay on how North American parents of Chinese-born children try to honor their children’s culture. More unusually, there is also an essay on Chinese adoptive parents who adopt within China and the unique struggles they face. These put a different perspective on the common assumption that Chinese don’t want to adopt other people’s children for “cultural reasons”. Some of the specific problems faced by children who do not have a document of their family registration in China also shed light on reasons birthmothers in other countries may choose to place their children for adoption.
An adoptive parent fluent in Korean who lived and studied in Korea for many years gives us insight into the culture and into the situation of a birthmother she met. She points out that although adoptive parents learn a lot about their child’s country, and may often return to visit it, few adoptive parents in transnational adoptions really know very much about the birthparents. Birthparents and children are left to imagine what each other’s lives are like. Another essay explores adopted persons’ imaginings about the “shadow self”—what they imagine their life would have been like if they stayed in their birth country.
A final essay looks at U.S. media coverage of institutionalized children, discussing both the good that has resulted from it and the possibility that some of it has been exploitative.
The essays on adult adoptees, birth country visits, adoption and parenting in other countries, and adoptees growing up in France, Australia and the Scandinavian countries give this book a unique status among adoption books. To link to this book on Amazon.com, click here.
Please see these related blogs:
Books on International Adoption for Adults
Books for Adults on Adoption from China and Korea