Here are some tips to help adoptive parents better develop their transracially-adopted child’s racial identity.
As a part of the Adoption STAR home study, prospective adoptive parents have to complete a class that talks about child identity. Transracial adoption is a big discussion point in this particular class. A tool we share to foster additional thinking about this topic is an article written by Joseph Crumbley, D.S.W., that discusses various tasks that parents of transracially adopted children should complete in an effort to encourage a positive racial identity in their children.
Dr. Crumbley hones in on seven specific tasks and feels they are especially important. “Because children of minority groups who experience prejudice and discrimination are subject to developing a negative racial identity, they require monitoring, with attention paid to their perception of racial identity. They should not be expected to develop positive racial identity without support and reinforcement from their families, role models, and the community.”
Here are his 7 suggested tasks:
- Acknowledge the existence of prejudice, racism, and discrimination.
- Explain why the child’s minority group is mistreated.
- Provide the child with a repertoire of responses to racial discrimination.
- Provide the child with role models and positive contact with his or her minority community.
- Prepare the child for discrimination.
- Teach the child the difference between responsibility to and for his or her minority group.
- Advocate on behalf of your child’s positive identity
You can find a full link to the article here: Seven Tasks for Parents: Developing Positive Racial Identity