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Racial Reactions

When Your Family Crosses
Color Lines

By Michele St. Martin

Once you've made the decision to adopt a child, there are many additional things to consider. For some people, one of the most important decisions is the race of the child to adopt. And chief among the adopting parents' concerns may be the reaction of others to their new family.

While it is increasingly common in many parts of the United States, transracial adoption is still a relatively new concept. Harry and Bertha Holt opened the doors to international adoption when, in 1955, the Oregon couple adopted eight orphaned children from Korea. This was so unprecedented that it required an act of Congress. The following year, the Holts founded Holt International Children's Services. Since then, intercountry and transracial adoption has grown and flourished.

Not all international adoption involves adopting a child who is racially different than the adopting parents, and not all transracial adoption is international. The practice of adopting across racial lines has grown domestically, too. In the 1950s and '60s, unwed teenagers and women of all races who gave birth to babies often made an adoption plan for them. There were more babies needing families than there were adoptive parents. But as it became more socially acceptable for unmarried parents to raise children, effective birth control became more accessible and abortion was legalized, the number of adoptable infants declined dramatically. And more and more couples and single people who wanted to build or add to their families through adoption began to adopt across racial lines.

Beth Hall, co-founder of Pact: An Adoption Alliance and co-author of Inside Transracial Adoption

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Who Am I? The Importance of Racial and Cultural Identity
• Go the Distance: Exploring International Adoption
• Waiting Children: Foster Care and Adoption Basics
• Talk about it!