The silent voices in discussions of transracial/transcultural adoption/foster care are typically the ones of non-adopted siblings. We can learn a lot from those who have lived the experience. We are looking for articles, comments, stories, and opinions written by non-adopted siblings in transracial/transcultural families (that is, white adults, youth, and children who were born to parents who also adopted children of a different race or ethnicity). We would like to post them on our webpage to help educate and inform adoptive and foster parents, prospective adoptive and foster parents, the professionals who work with them, and others, including non-adopted siblings who can learn from others' insights and experiences.
The following questions are "food for thought." While they may not all apply to your situation, perhaps they will give you some ideas of things to write about. Please send all submissions to office@nysccc.org.
• Did you feel prepared to have children of color join your family? How did your parents prepare you?
• While growing up, did you feel prepared to deal with racist remarks, comments, jokes, etc.?
• When they occurred, what did you do about it?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of having siblings of color?
• How did you perceive your status in your family as the non-adopted white child?
• How did you perceive your status in your community and schools as an interracial family? As a white person with non-white siblings?
• What advantages of "white privilege" have you experienced that were/are not available to your non-white siblings?
• How did your experience as a non-adopted sibling in an interracial family affect your own life and influence your life choices?
• Were there specific decisions you made, for example, where you live as an adult, choice of friends, political positions, etc., that were/are influenced as a result of your interracial family experience?
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NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
410 East Upland Road • Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-0034 • fax (607) 272-0035
office@nysccc.org