Adoption Essay, Research Paper

Biracial adoptions have been the topic of debate for many years but not only for it s effects on the children and their parents but also for it s effect on society and the effect it has on the child s ability to function in society. With this in mind the Federal Government has decided to step in. Their outlook on the subject has caused them to put into action the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act. The Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) will make racial matching an inappropriate criterion for the placement of adoptive children. The law applies to agencies which receive Federal assistance and prohibits using race, color, or national origin of either a parent or a child as the sole basis to deny (or delay) any opportunity to become an adoptive or foster parent (Hall 1). The passing of this act has to give us the feeling that the Government feels that placing unwanted children in loving families outweighs the harm from interracial adoptions.

Biracial adoptions have clear positives and negatives on the ability of these children to function normally in society. Both biracial adoption and delayed adoptions cause children to obtain serious mental disabilities which weaken their ability to interact and to see themselves as an equal part of society. If children are placed in homes that are ethnically or racially different from their genetic heritage, they are at risk of losing that cultural legacy. This loss can have multiple and diverse effects, ranging from pervasive psychological consequences like low self-esteem to specific (and potentially dangerous) social effects, like an inability to recognize and anticipate behaviors and reactions in racially-charged situations. On the other hand, children whose placements into permanent families are delayed because of racial-matching policies, they are at risk for serious consequences like non-attachment, itself a highly consequential condition (Hall 1). It is important that we way the effects of both these situations equally.

Also it is important to realize that biracial adoptions often place children in environments where they are seen as outsiders. Often times the community which these children are brought into see the situation as negative. This is especially likely when talking about adoptions between different countries. Such barriers as language, culture, and beliefs can cause children to never become part of the new society which they are placed in. Culturally these adoptions can often cause children to loose their heritage. This is a very negative effect on society because it factors out assimilation. It is my feeling that if Biracial adopters allow themselves to help their children learn about their own culture and teach their neighbors it will be a great positive on society. It will teach us to blend all of our cultures until we have came up with the community which will include all of it s members.