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Who Am I?
The Importance of Racial and Cultural Identity
By Michele St. Martin
When the first internationally adopted transracial children began to enter American families in the late 1950s, the prevailing theory was that since the children were part of families headed by Caucasian parents, they should be raised to assimilate into the American Caucasian culture. The first international adoptions were those of Korean orphans. Jeannie* of Washington, who was adopted from Korea at 11 months old, was one of these children.
"I was raised in a rural area," Jeannie says. "I was the only Korean child in the area. My parents knew little or nothing about Korea. They had never even been there; I was escorted from Korea to the airport in Chicago where they met me. They loved me and they raised me as if I were their flesh and blood. It was obvious when you looked at me that I wasn't!" Jeannie says that growing up and even as a young adult, she always felt "different" and "not as good as white people."
Jeannie says that although she had a loving family and friends, was good in school and successful in her career, the feeling of being "different" never went away. She found herself ill-equipped to battle racial stereotypes and discrimination. She studied Korean history and culture and made a trip to Korea.
"I still felt different!" she says. "I had dreamed of going to Korea; I thought I'd fit in there. But I didn't. I wasn't Korean, I was Korean-American." It wasn't until she met other Korean-American adoptees of her own age that she felt a sense of belonging. "We were all raised to fit in and 'act white.' But we aren't white, and we'll never be white. I know that our parents had the best of intentions, but I am so glad that many parents today who adopt transracially see the importance of their child learning about the culture they came from! It is very hard growing up with no racial identity when you are a member of a minority group. I wish I had been brought up to be proud of my heritage. It makes life so much easier."