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Can We Emphasize Culture Too Much?

The latest issue of Adoptive Families’ magazine has an article by Mei-Ling Hopgood. She writes from the perspective of an adult adoptee, having been adopted from Taiwan in the 1970s and raised in the U.S. by white parents, together with her two brothers adopted from Korea. I’ve written before about the discomfort I sometimes feel regarding how much to emphasize my daughters’ birth culture. Many young adult adoptees are now speaking out and saying that they either thought of themselves as “white” or desperately wanted to be, that they had a tremendous shock in high school or college when others … Continue reading →

Resources for Learning the History of Other Cultures

When I decided to adopt from Korea, I knew next to nothing about the culture. In what little mention of them there is in books, Korea, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia are often presented as victim nations, poor and often governed by puppet regimes of other countries. This is not great for self-esteem. (Regarding self-esteem: I’ve always thought some women were too sensitive to non-inclusive language. I’ve always been fine assuming that “all men” included me. But as I get older I see subtle discrimination more than I ever thought I would, and I realize the power of hearing … Continue reading →

Typical High School Course of Study: Social Studies part 1

Most school districts require high school students to acquire 4 years worth of social studies lessons or credits. These lessons are basically the same lessons that have been taught in previous years. The exception is that at the high school level, students are expected to be able to learn history in detail, remembering exact dates of historic events, and discussing social issues. The basic curriculum for social studies in high school is as follows. A student does not have to take social studies in this order as long as the four types of courses are covered. Grade 9 social studies … Continue reading →

Finally, An Ethnic Question That I Can Answer

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I have written a lot about trying to teach myself an African American studies course as I raise four boys whose ethnicity requires that I get myself up to date. I was finally asked an ethnic related question by my oldest adopted son that was a snap to answer. In fact, I was able to convince him that I am an expert on the subject. We were driving into Houston for an appointment with one of his doctors. We go back and forth over who has control of the radio; he had won out this day. We were listening to … Continue reading →

Ethnic Culture Class, Part 2

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Over 35 years ago, I had a very significant conversation with a friend. I did not understand it as important at that time. But, I remembered it. I grew up in the south in the fifties and early sixties. The only black people that I knew were domestic employees in my home and in my friends’ homes. It seems like it was so long ago. In 1970, I was a second year law student at the major college in the state. My class started out the previous year with 180 students. In that class were three black men, three white … Continue reading →

Ethnic Culture Class, Part 1

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All of my five adopted sons were classified as African American by the state when we took them into our home as foster children. One has no black ancestry. The other four do. They are beautiful children. My wife and I are white. The community where we live is predominantly white. The training that the boys receive in regard to their ethnic culture will come from Nancy and me. The children know that they are adopted and realize that our family is biracial. They know that they started out in the “tummy” of a lady that was unable to take … Continue reading →

The Questions Continue Part 1: We love Art, Music and P.E.

Kaye and I have been publicly discussing our views of home schooling vs. schooling out of the home (as homeschoolers would call it). Kaye’s last blog has asked so many questions that I have decided to answer them in three blogs instead of just one! The first question Kaye poses has to do with physical education. If I may, I’m going to expand upon her question, and answer what a home schooling family can do to satisfy requirements (if there are any) regarding art education, music education as well as physical education. I hope that if there are any of … Continue reading →

A List of Places to Buy Groceries

Your regular chain supermarket may not be the best place to buy your groceries. Often, there are other stores that will yield better quality for a lower price overall or on particular items. Being able to shop around can be a good thing, and you might want to shop for your groceries at more than one store. Visiting different stores and noting the selection and the prices can help you develop a plan for your grocery shopping. Then you know that you’ll always get the best prices on your groceries, even if you don’t happen to have coupons. There are … Continue reading →

Positive Steps to Confront Stereotypes

In recent blogs I talked about anti-immigrant feeling in America today and whether it will have an unintended impact on our adopted children. I was thinking primarily of our Asian and Latino children, but a third-grader from Ethiopia was recently taunted in my neighborhood and told to go back to her country. In some parts of the U.S. the immigrant African population may be larger than the African-American population, so possibly more and more people will assume that African-heritage children are immigrants as well. And some of them are—Haiti and Liberia have been native countries of significant numbers of adopted … Continue reading →

Will Anti-Immigrant Sentiment Affect Adopted Children?

School conferences were a revelation to a mother of a middle-school daughter who had been adopted from Guatemala, but even more of a revelation to her teachers. The girl had reported that the teachers never called on her class. The mother sent a note to the homeroom teacher which was never answered. The mother said that the teachers were surprised to have anyone show up at the girl’s scheduled conference time at all—let alone a white professional woman. The teachers had apparently assumed that the girl was an illegal immigrant who didn’t speak English. (For another blog on racism in … Continue reading →