Combining two threads (Race and adoption)
 

I had a professor who was opposed to white people adopting black children. She said it was culturally confusing to the child and demonstrated that white people were still trying to subvert black society. I thought she was insane. Then I watched a white couple adopt and raise two black children. I witnessed their cultural confusion and difficulty in bonding with their parents. It seemed like many of the things my "crazy" professor predicted were happening. Now I'm conflicted. I don't see how any loving environment could be worse than a nonloving one but I can see the risks of cultural alienation and difficulties in bonding. Any thoughts on this subject by those who are more brilliant than I?

My aunt and uncle adopted a polynesian infant. It turned out well. But there were issues they had to go through related to racial identity. For example, he wanted his haircut "just like Dad". They realized that he had no mental conception of what his hair was like. So they put up mirrors all throughout the house.

No matter what the statistics are, I would not make a definitive policy based on them (maybe I'm just weird that way).

In your experience then, my professor was correct? I thought it sounded racist when she said it. Was it a racist statement?

If white couples don't adopt black children there will be an awful lot of black children growing up without parents. Currently there are way, way more black children available for adoption then there are couples wanting to adopt black children.

Bryan Kehl was adopted by white parents. I'm grateful a good LDS, BYU loving family adopted him.

Very true. Her belief was that black children were better unadopted than raised in homes of white people. I probably should have mentioned that in the first post.

I definitely don't agree with this. I support mixed-race adoptions, even though I believe there are potential pitfalls.

Are there ways to minimize the pitfalls or are we in danger of racial stereotyping by doing so?

I'm not grateful that the family was LDS; he might not have ended up at BYU otherwise. He's pretty damn good.;)

Are you saying they turned into Bryant and Greg Gumbel?