It’s Open Thread Wednesday
Whats on your mind?
Archive for April, 2009
Fewer Americans Adopting from China
An article worth reading that talks about the decline in the number of Americans adopting from China. “In 2005, American citizens adopted 7,906 children through the state-run China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA). In 2008, that number fell to 3,909 kids.”
It’s interesting that there are now cultural shifts in China that are changing the perception of adoption. And I found this heartening, “Peoples attitude toward having girls is changing dramatically,” Zhong said. “I have friends [in China] who have girls, and they are just so excited.”
What’re your thoughts on the decline in American adoption from China, and the increase in adoptions within China? How do you feel about the cultural shift in attitude towards adoption in China?
I’m also curious as to what others think about the inclusion of this link, within the article itself. It directs the reader to look at photos from the Heart Gallery, ”a project to document children free for adoption” in America.
What Adopting a White Girl Taught a Black Family about Race
Reading this article in Newsweek, “Raising Katie: what adopting a white girl taught a black family about race in the Obama era,” gave me a a lot to think about. Here are some quotes I’ve been turning over in my mind:
“Let me just put it out there. I’ve never felt more self-consciously black than while holding our little white girl’s hand in public.”
“Why is it that in the United States, a white woman can have black children but a black woman cannot have white children?”
“No country in the world has made more progress toward combating overt racism than [the United States]. But the most popular stereotype of black people is still that they’re violent. And for a lot of people, not even racist people, the sight of a white child with a black parent just sets off alarm signals.”
“I hadn’t realized that dinnertime stories were often told with reference to the race of the players, or that I often used racial stereotypes, as in the news only cares about some missing spring-break girl because she is blonde.”
Read the article here and let us know what you think.
What’s on Your Mind? – Join Us For Open Thread Wednesday!
We’re starting a new weekly feature on our blog site–Open Thread Wednesday. Open Thread is a time for you to post questions, thoughts, and stories that you want to discuss.
Make sure to check back in for our first Open Thread Wednesday this week on the 29th. We can’t wait to hear what’s on your mind!