Tuesday, August 24, 2010

a little light reading on racial issues

How will we -- two white people with two white kids who grew up in mostly white communities -- parent a child who is not white? Not an easy question, and it doesn't have an easy answer. We are trying to listen to many different perspectives as we consider this challenge, including adult transracial adoptees, adoption professionals, anti-racism advocates, parents who have adopted transracially, and others.

I just wrote a long post about 'white privilege' and how this adoption process has opened our eyes to racial issues in a way that we had never considered before (and that statement in itself is actually evidence of 'white privilege'), but then I decided it was too rambly and uninformed. Instead I will invite you to read this essay, which compares white privilege to right-handedness, and also to check out this disgusting juxtaposition of two very different captions on two very similar pictures.

Thoughts?

5 comments:

  1. ouch, ouch, ouch on that duelling captions link!

    I say post your post. Rambly and uninformed is not a bad place for us to be, I don't think, as long as we're thinking! (I hope).
    (Gosh, could that comment be any less precise?)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Claudia, your ramblings are far more informed than mine and could build a bridge for me to access the other information you've linked. May God grant your family grace and discernment as you love Him and each other.

    ReplyDelete
  3. One of the biggest blessings of having a grandchild of a different ethnicity is the gift of sight. I have been and am being enlightened daily. I am grateful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i'm glad you posted this haley. good, good thoughts. i remember thinking that i totally understood the dynamics of race relations. until, that is i was living in south africa. then i saw how complex it all really is. i'm glad you and jon are beginning to sort it all out. we should have a longer convo about this the next time i see you. love ya!

    ReplyDelete