i am interracially adopted (i'm latina, and my parents are white) so i hope that i can shed some light on this subject. it is true that there are some things that a white family could never teach to a child from a cultural perspective, no matter how hard they try. nearly everything i know about latino culture i've gone out of my way to learn about. however, i would say that i am a well adjusted adult and that i do know what it means to be latina. i've encountered my fair share of latinos who are not adopted and have no clue about latino culture. so i'd say i'm doing alright.

that said, i've always wondered why there are not more families of color (i'm including latinos and asians here, not just blacks) who are willing to adopt. i haven't really done more research into it. i'd like to think we weren't being shut out of the process. maybe for many people the adoption process is daunting. the paperwork can be a nightmare and can take years to process. it took my parents 7 years before they could adopt me. how many people of any color are willing to stick it out that long? but a few friends of mine have told me that they would like to adopt children, so we'll see what their experiences are like.

i'd also like to say that i was raised in a loving and stable home. and i realize that such things are so rare these days. and honestly, that is the most important part when it comes to adoption.

(as an aside, i've heard that interracial adoptees are better adjusted than their intraracially adopted peers, since we *know* we're adopted. just a thought.)

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