Identity is one of the seven lifelong core issues in adoption. Connecting with cultural roots is crucial for a child's identity development. Children adopted from other countries may find it difficult to form a healthy sense of self without immersion in the culture of their birth country. It is important that parents take the time to engage adopted children in discussions about their heritage and work to understand, acknowledge, and celebrate differences in race and culture within the family. Identity develops over time and it takes a lifetime of experiences both within and outside the family. In this section, find resources to help reconnect adopted children with their cultural roots in meaningful ways.
5 Ways Internationally Adopted Kids Shape Their Identity (and 4 Important Ways Parents Help)
McNaughton (2016)
Family Connections, Inc.
Summarizes how children develop their cultural identity and provides suggestions for ways adoptive parents can encourage the development of their child's cultural identity.
Adoptive Family Travel
The Ties Program (2019)
Organizes travel experiences for groups of adoptive families to visit their adopted children's countries of birth. Trips are arranged for countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and more.
Cultural Resources
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption
Provides facts, statistics, and links for cultural information about six Eastern European countries.
Cultural Gatherings: What Do Our Kids Think?
Goldstone
Post Adoption Information
Recounts the results of a small-scale survey that explored the opinions of adopted people about attending cultural gatherings.
Helping Your Adopted Child Maintain a Cultural Connection
Bayless
Provides information for parents who have adopted children from another culture on how important it is to keep the child connected to their heritage. The article provides tips for parents on how to maintain a child's connection to their birth culture in appropriate ways.
The Importance of Your Child's Birth Culture
Robertson (2020)
Adoption & Surrogacy Choices of Colorado
Discusses how when raising a child adopted internationally or from a different race, culture, or ethnicity, it is important for parents to acknowledge their child's differences and implement and include their birth culture into their life as much as possible.
Informational Resources for Adoptive Parents
Pact: An Adoption Alliance
Presents resources for adoptive parents including blogs by adoptees, birth parents, and others along with national adoption resources.
Keeping Your Child's Culture Alive After Adoption
RainbowKids (2016)
Explains how international adoption brings different cultures together and how it is important for parents to integrate the food, language, and culture of their child's birthplace into their new life.
Maintaining Your Adopted Child's Cultural Connection
Deal
ESME
Offers do's and don'ts for parents looking to maintain their adopted child's connection to their birth culture.
The Personal is Political: Racial Identity and Racial Justice in Transracial Adoption
Kim (2018)
Adoptalk, 3
Presents a blog from the perspective of a transracial adoptee that talks about the importance of parents providing racial, ethnic, and cultural identity support to help children develop a sense of self.