International adoption introduces different cultures into the United States, which can help eliminate discrimination. America has obviously become a more diverse culture over time. This has opened doors for international adoption. In the days of slavery and segregation, this type of adoption would never have come to mind. As people have been more exposed to diversity, and also more exposed to issues in foreign countries, the amount of international adoptions has increased tremendously; the sight of transracial families has become less rare (Haerens “Preface to ‘What” par. 3). Transracial families becoming more common is good for America’s society. People have become more accepting of others, their culture, and how they look. Haerens discusses these points: “On the other hand, the beneficial consequences of international adoption are also examined, such as… addressing discriminatory policies put in place by foreign governments, or ultimately facilitating the evolution of American society into a more tolerant, color-blind community that respects people of all races and nationalities” (“Preface to What” par. 5).Haerens theory of using international adoption to eliminate discrimination is extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult problem of discrimination in a good way.
Counterargument/Refute #2: Loss of Culture
However, some people argue that taking a child away from their home culture is not in their best interest. Haerens voiced, “Many countries that are against international adoptions argue that it is not in the best interest of the children to separate them from their cultural heritage. At all costs, they assert, orphaned or abandoned children should be kept within their country of origin. They institute restrictions that require children to be held for long periods in orphanages while they explore in-country options” ("Preface to ‘Should” par. 3). While children should have knowledge of their race’s culture, they should not be punished by extended periods of time in an orphanage. The idea is that keeping culture is in the best interest of the child, but are orphanages the best interest of the child? Does keeping culture take priority over having a family and a home? Haerens answers this by saying “...proponents of international adoptions assert that it is better for the child to find a loving, permanent home—even if it is half a world away—than to stay institutionalized in under-resourced orphanages or in foster families” (“Preface to ‘Should” par. 4). Many adoptive parents make an effort to teach their adopted child his or her birth country’s culture, and also learn it themselves. According to Jeneen Interlandi, a news reporter for Newsweek magazine, some parents even research and move to different communities that are more diverse in an effort to keep their children from feeling out of place (par. 13). According to a Harvard survey, the amount of families that move to a more diverse community after an international adoption is 15 percent; many families also take their children to visit the adopted child’s home country (Interlandi par. 13). Adoptive parents do make efforts to raise the child in whatever way is best for him or her. The next issue becomes what critics believe to be a loss of self-identity in transracial adoptees. They believe that a child being a different race than his or her family will confuse him or her. Donna Batten, author in Opposing Viewpoints in Context, discussed the motives behind international adoption, and the popular American view that international adoptions cause identity confusion among the adoptees when thrown into a racial minority: “Or is it an insidious means of co-opting members of racial minorities and confusing their sense of identity?” (par. 17).In other words, these critics believeinternational adoption only causes a child to be a minority, and also causes the adoptees to have issues with their personal identity.The opposers of international adoption are mistaken because they overlook the efforts made by the adopting families to make the transition of cultures easier. Most adopting families have the child’s well-being as a first priority. Although a lot of the children may not even be old enough at their time of adoption to remember their birth country, adoptive parents do make an effort to teach children their home culture by celebrating that culture’s holidays, learning how to make their foods, and teaching them their native language (“International Adoption” par. 19). The children still gain an appreciation of their culture as they also have a loving family and are provided with more opportunities than they would have had in their birth country.