Identity of Asian Adoptees | Asian American Poll

IDENTITY OF ASIAN ADOPTEES
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:26:03 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Assuming you are Asian American, which best describes your feeling toward Asians who grew up in adoptive white families?
I can relate with them as I do with other AA. | 27%
They put me off by seeming more white than Asian. | 22%
I make an effort to be understanding of their situation. | 19%
I am unsure how to relate to them. | 32%

Assuming you are an Asian adoptee raised by a white family, which best describes your own feelings?
I feel perfectly comfortable around Asians. | 18%
I make an effort to fit in with Asians so I can reclaim my proper identity. | 38%
I have all but given up trying to fit in with Asians. | 27%
I am comfortable around Whites and see no reason to be with Asians. | 18%

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WHAT YOU SAY

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I am a adoptee from Thailand raised in a western family environment in Australia. I personally think people in the USA think far too much about race and colour. My adoptive parents are white, and I have 2 adoptive sisters (both born in asia). We are proud of where we were born and have contact with our birth families, but we are also proud of where we were brought up and love our parents as if they were true flesh and blood. White couples who adopt asian girls do not do so because they want a submissive child, but perhaps because they cannot have a child of their own, and cannot wait the 12 or indefinate years it may take to adopt a child in their own country.
TT Thursday, February 07, 2002 at 23:08:49 (PST)

"The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare reports that 42% of these adoptees are male and 58% are female."

Hmmmm.... I've met a good number of Korean adoptees, and a 58/42 female/male seems way off. Based on my experiences, it seems more like a 85/15 female/male ratio.

This adoptee gender disparity is quite high for any country. One popular theory is that boys tend to be harder to control, especially during the turbulant teen years, which is why girls are more desired. But there is that gender bias from the adoptee's home country that is also a factor.

B. Lee Thursday, February 07, 2002 at 21:38:50 (PST)

I've not adopted, but i think American families adopt Asian girls because girls in general are easily disciplined compared to boys. Moreover, Asian children excell in math and sciences, sports (as portrayed by Michelle Kwan, Amy Chow, Kristie Yamaguchi, Michael Chang)... - well rounded, I'd say. If i were adopting, I'd pick an Asian child too.
JJ Thursday, February 07, 2002 at 12:01:38 (PST)

Proud AM:

I think white families adopt only Asian females because white people perceive "Asian females as submissive and easily controlled. Also, whites objectify Asian girls as toy dolls, China dolls. It is cute for them to have an Asian girl than an Asian guy. It goes to show me that white people are the most racist people on earth. There are plenty of black and hispanic children waiting to be adopted in the U.S., but these white families would rather travel half way around the world to hand pick their perfect subservient Asian girl."

And how many Asian Americans adopt Asian babies period. As per statistics 0.5%. Why? Chinese wont adopt Vietnamese, Vietnamese will not adopt Koreans, Koreans would not adopt Japanese and none would adopt babies from the Filipines. Of course, the host countries also put stumbling blocks. There are many countries that would allow whites to adopt Asian babies, but would not allow Asians of different ethnicities or mixed race Asians to adopt. At least the whites are adopting them and giving them a home, which is more than I can say about Asians and Asian Americans

Asian American Male Thursday, February 07, 2002 at 10:44:32 (PST)

Proud AM
In China, baby girls are abandoned by the millions. Baby boys are not. White families will adopt boys if only they were available. The ratio of adult men to women are now 6:1 in China. There is now a critical shortage of marriage age women. Males are prized in Asian countries like China because they are the ones who supposedly stay on with the family and care for the elders while females marry out and care for her in-laws.

Although it will be difficult to break the centuries old tradition where males are prized, economic necessity may very well make females more "valuable" to families.
jennifer Thursday, February 07, 2002 at 10:41:48 (PST)

Proud AM,

What's up with white people wanting girls because they might someday be submissive? Or girl toys? Get over the race issue, because your reasoning isn't logical. As far as whites adopting hispanic babies, I can't say if they do or don't. However, I can give you a clue on black babies. Seems the black community gets in an uproar when too many white people start adopting black babies, because they fear the kids will be raised white and lose the black heritage thing. It's the truth! You would think they would rather the kids have loving homes, but that isn't the case. At least that was the way it was a couple of years ago. Big deal on the news about it.
Not A Race Issue Wednesday, February 06, 2002 at 13:12:55 (PST)

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