Examples of Transracial Families
The adoption process allows families made up of members from different ethnicities to join together as one. If you are a birth mother who is thinking about placing their child up for adoption, finding the perfect adoptive family for your child will be one of the biggest decisions you make throughout the process. Some birth mothers choose to place their child into a transracial family. Growing up in a transracial family is a unique experience that allows children to experience a blend of different cultures and experiences. Since Adoption Choices of Oklahoma allows birth mothers to choose the adoptive parents for their child, you may want to consider placing your child into a transracial family.
What is a Transracial Family?
A transracial family is a family that is made up of one or more different races. While the birth mother is of one race or a blend of races, the adoptive parents are of another race or blend. Many transracial families are formed when adoptive parents choose to adopt children from different countries, but transracial families can form within the United States as well since there is so much diversity in the country. Although it is normal to want your child to grow up in a family that shares the same cultural values and practices that you grew up with, you may also want to choose to place your child into a transracial family.
What are the Benefits of Transracial Families?
Being in a transracial family is a unique experience that has its challenges, but it also comes with many benefits. For example, if you grew up in a multicultural environment as the birth mother, you may want your child to experience the same thing. Being surrounded by different cultures increases a child’s intercultural awareness and will assist them in appreciating those who are different from them. In other cases, you, as the birth mother, may not even consider race when choosing the adoptive parents for your child. If you are basing your decision solely on the values and character of the adoptive parents, your child may end up in a transracial family as a result.
What are the Challenges of Transracial Families?
While there are many benefits to placing your child into a transracial family, some challenges go along with it. Take this example, for instance. Suppose a child of one race is adopted by parents of another. In that case, the parents may live in an area where their child’s culture is underrepresented, and the child may end up feeling dissatisfied with their appearance or cultural background because they don’t fit it. This is why it is important to discuss with the adoptive parents how they will seek to keep their child’s culture a part of their life as they grow up so they won’t reject it or ignore it. Additionally, the adoptive parents might not be aware of the challenges that children from certain races may experience as they grow up and may place them in environments where they will experience discrimination and bullying without knowing. However, this can be avoided if the adoptive parents take time to understand your background as the birth mother and apply what they learn from you to their parenting of your child.
Choosing a Transracial Adoption in Oklahoma
If you are looking to place your baby for adoption, choosing a transracial family may be something you want to consider when choosing the adoptive parents. Transracial families provide children with a robust cultural heritage and help them appreciate diversity from a young age. If you have any additional questions or want to get started on your adoption plan, please contact Adoption Choices of Oklahoma, where our staff will be ready to answer you and assist you in any way they can.
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma is a private adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and a leader in the adoption community. We have been assisting birth parents, children, and adoptive families in Oklahoma for over 19 years. Our staff members are committed to providing an ethical, empowering, and personalized adoption experience to all involved in the adoption process. If you are currently in the process of adopting a baby and have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.
Toll-free: 800-898-6028 | OKC Local: 405-755-1999 | Tulsa Local: 918-447-7777 | Text: 405-201-6643 | Email
Meet the author: Kyla’s life has been filled with adventure and transition – both good and difficult. She loves to take on challenges head-on and lead an organized and balanced life. She’s passionate about many different areas and loves how writing gives her the flexibility to engage in research of almost every field of study imaginable. She grew up very involved in theater and music and continues to use her free time to play the piano and sing. However, she is also very interested in how the natural world works and takes any chance she has to spend the day away from crowds, enveloped in the seclusion of nature. Growing up in the Philippines, she’s had some unique experiences that have shaped her worldview and given her a deeper understanding and appreciation for different cultures. She gets excited about research papers, completed to-do lists, and her morning coffee.
