Overview
White Parents, Black Children looks at the difficult issue of race in transracial adoptions—particularly the adoption by white parents of children from different racial and ethnic groups. Despite the long history of troubled and fragile race relations in the United States, some people believe the United States may be entering a post-racial state where race no longer matters, citing evidence like the increasing number of transracial adoptions to make this point. However, White Parents, Black Children argues that racism remains a factor for many children of transracial adoptions. Black children raised in white homes are not exempt from racism, and white parents are often naive about the experiences their children encounter. This book aims to bring to light racial issues that are often difficult for families to talk about, focusing on the racial socialization white parents provide for their transracially adopted children about what it means to be black in contemporary American society. Blending the stories of adoptees and their parents with extensive research, the authors discuss trends in transracial adoptions, challenge the concept of 'colorblind' America, and offer suggestions to help adoptees develop a healthy sense of self.
Full Product Details
Author: Darron T. Smith ,
Cardell K. Jacobson ,
Brenda G. Juárez ,
Joe R. Feagin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield
Dimensions:
Width: 15.10cm
, Height: 1.30cm
, Length: 23.00cm
Weight: 0.268kg
ISBN: 9781442207639
ISBN 10: 1442207639
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 20 December 2017
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Professional & Vocational
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
In White Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption, Smith, Jacobson and Juarez examine the experience of transracial adoption through an analysis of the stories of white transracial adoptive parents and adult black transracial adoptees. These narratives serve as a powerful reminder that despite our best intentions to live in a colorblind or postracial world, race still matters. The voices of the parents and adult adoptees attest to the power and significance of race such that 'love is not enough.'The authors uncover several instances where parents were unaware of how their white privilege shaped transracial parenting. . . .While there is a clear and pressing need for greater levels of parental training for transracial adoptive parents so that their black children do not grow up thinking that they are white, many parents are inadequately prepared for the road ahead. The authors conclude with a cautioning statement about the inherent responsibilities involved in the social experiment of transracial adoption. . . .As greater numbers of White parents look to adopt Black children both domestically and internationally, the book will surely serve as a valuable resource for parents to help them understand that when forming a family across the color line, love is not enough. * Social Forces * Love is not enough if you are a white parent of an adopted black child. That's the premise behind Wichita State University assistant professor Darron T. Smith's recently published book White Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption. White Parents, Black Children examines issues of race and whether white adopting parents can teach their children how to cope with racial discrimination. 'The research literature is clear,' said Smith, 'that when black children grow up in predominately white communities they do unfortunately encounter the sting of racial marginalization.' 'It's never a question of love, said Smith. 'The issue is, can white parents sufficiently humble themselves and do better socially and culturally for their adopted children?' Smith, whose research area is in minority health, said that in White Parents, Black Children he hopes to challenge the concept of a 'colorblind' America and offer suggestions to help adoptees develop a healthy sense of self. * Newswise.com * This book is especially helpful to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of racism and its dynamics. Certainly, people who care about race relations but are hesitant to talk about race and racism for fear of being misunderstood will appreciate the vocabulary the authors offer to readers to encourage them to actively join in the struggle for racial equality. Sensitive and delicate discussions about race must occur if we, as loving adults, want our children's inter-racial relationships to be healthy. In our ever-changing demographics, at a minimum, adults would be naive to think their children will not need to know how to mediate the color line. In an ideal world, adults would embrace their own and their children's multi-racial relationships in the myriad places they already occur and inevitably will continue to occur-in schools, boardrooms, military camps, and, yes, even in families. Toward that end, readers will appreciate how the authors facilitate discussions about complicated and delicate racial issues that must be engaged in a democracy. -- Sharon E. Rush, Irving Cypen Professor of Law, Levin College of Law, University of Florida Amid enthusiastic rhetoric of a post-racial America, Smith, Jacobson, and Juarez give us a fair, plain-spoken argument for why and how race still matters in American society, and by extension, why and how white adoptive parents should take race into account in their parenting of black and biracial adoptive children. -- Heath Fogg Davis, Temple University An absolutely unique and badly-needed examination of transracial adoption in a society divided by racism, White Parents, Black Children is sure to become the leading resource for persons concerned about the well-being of children of color growing up in white homes. This volume shows clearly the dangers and inadequacies of well-intended colorblindness on the part of white adoptive parents, and demonstrates that a deliberate race (and racism) consciousness on the part of those parents is an absolute must. -- Tim Wise, author of White Like Me and Between Barack and a Hard Place
Author Information
Darron T. Smith is a frequent commentator on issues of race, including a New York Times post on transracial adoption and Haiti. He is assistant professor at Wichita State University and the coeditor of the book Black and Mormon. Cardell K. Jacobson is Karl G. Maeser Professor at Brigham Young University and the author or editor of several books, including Statistical Handbook on Racial Groups in the United States. Brenda G. Juárez is assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, specializing in social justice education.
