Myah Revilock
October 9, 2006
Writing Workshop – Mr. Brown
This I Believe Essay

Trans-Racial Adoption

I believe that trans-racial adoption can be a very good thing for both parents and children. Some people might not approve of adopting a child from outside of the country of a different race because the parents might raise the child without introducing her to her own culture. Take me, for example. I was adopted by Caucasian parents at the age of 9 months. I was living in an orphanage in the Province of Hunan, China. My parents adopted me, took me home to California where I’ve lived ever since. Trans-racial adoption has worked for my family.

China has a One Child Policy law. This law has changed a bit since I was born, but when I was a baby, the law meant that you could only have one child per family. Back then, when some people had baby girls, they would leave the baby on the steps of an orphanage. The families would do this because they wanted boys instead of girls. Many Chinese would prefer boys in the family because when the boy’s family gets older, he is responsible for taking care of his family. On the other hand, the girls are expected to take care of the husband’s family. So this would lead to many girls living in orphanages. Life in an orphanage is different from living in a family because in a family you get a lot of attention and love.

When girls in an orphanage grow up with no parents, they never really experience what it feels like to be a child in a family. They also never get enough love. Love in a family is an important thing. It is sad to think that they get less attention and love by living with other children who need the same amount of attention. Another thing that is good about living in a family is that you can get more opportunities to develop your skills and talents. It is a good way to really find out even what your skills and talents are.

I asked my mom why she thinks trans-racial adoption worked so wonderfully for her and my dad. She said that they wanted a child to love in their family. When they were looking for babies to adopt, they never really found many babies in the US. So they found out that there were more babies in China for them to adopt through an adoption agency. By having me in the family, a child from China, they learned a lot about China and the Chinese customs and culture. They feel like it enriched their lives by expanding their world to include Chinese traditions.

One thing that is very important for the parents who have adopted a child from a different country is that they need to raise their child to learn about their own culture, as well as the culture of the parents’ country. For example, I went to a school with other kids who were adopted by Caucasian parents, so I never felt weird living in a trans-racial family. I spent seven years at the Chinese American International School (CAIS) where I learned Chinese and English. I had many Chinese friends and teachers who celebrate the Chinese cultures and customs.

I believe that trans-racial adoption can work for any family if they are open to learning a whole new culture and its customs. There are so many children in the world who need homes and so many people who could provide one. I believe that every child should have a family of their own. Why would adopting a child from a different race matter?

I acknowledge my mom who helped me by discussing the topic with me, and who also read my paper.