Forging ethnic identity in transracial adoptions

Rory Hadley, Blogger & Mom, shares advice for transracial adoptive parents on how to help their child build his or her own ethnic identity
Transracial Adoption: Forging Ethnic Identity
KidsInTheHouse the Ultimate Parenting Resource
Kids in the House Tour

Forging ethnic identity in transracial adoptions

Comment
51
Like
51
Transcription: 
I think one of the hardest things about raising a child in a transracial family is teaching her both a sense of ethnic identity and self confidence while still having her be a member of the family that looks very different than her. And I think one of the most important things in doing that is understanding that our family is different, that we have a white priviledge as her parents, that we will be afforded certain things within our society and culture that she will sometimes not be afforded. And when that happens to her, I think it is really important for us to let her know that we get it, we understand that, we know that that is happening to her and to validate those emotions. To talk about race, to talk about race relations early, talk about it often and to remember that talking about race and teaching your child a sense of racial identity is not a sprint. It is a marathon. It happens slow, over a long period of time, and just keeping the dialog open will keep your child close to you and your family.

Rory Hadley, Blogger & Mom, shares advice for transracial adoptive parents on how to help their child build his or her own ethnic identity

Transcript

Expert Bio

More from Expert

Rory Hadley

Mom & Blogger

Rory is a wife, a blogger, and a transracial adoptive parent of an African American girl, who joined the family through domestic adoption in 2007 at a mere six days old. A self-described tomboy and computer geek, Rory had little knowledge regarding her own hair, not to mention no prior experience with the unique hair and skincare needs of children of African descent. Making it her mission to learn everything that she could, Rory started chronicling her experiences for other parents who have found find themselves in similar situations. Since the launch of her blog, Chocolate Hair / Vanilla Care in 2010, people from all over the world have been able to share in her journey as she demonstrates new hair styles, outlines step-by-step instructions, reviews products, and discusses the many aspects of what it means to be a transracial family in today's world. Rory hopes to continue exploring identity, respect, and empowerment, using hair as a common language.

More Parenting Videos from Rory Hadley >
Enter your email to
download & subscribe
to our newsletter