Newswise — Love is not enough if you are a white parent of an adopted black child. That’s the premise behind Wichita State University assistant professor Darron T. Smith’s recently published book “White Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption.”
Smith, an African American physician assistant in the College of Health Professions, authored the book with Cardell Jacobson, a professor of sociology at Brigham Young University.
“White Parents, Black Children” examines issues of race and whether white adopting parents can teach their children how to cope with racial discrimination.
“The research literature is clear,” said Smith, “that when black children grow up in predominately white communities they do unfortunately encounter the sting of racial marginalization.”
Some researchers cite increasing numbers of transracial adoptions in the United States as evidence the country is entering a post-civil rights era where skin color no longer matters, Smith said. But racism and the persistence of discrimination remain a factor for many black children of transracial adoptions, and can have a deleterious impact on their mental health.
To always live under the constant threat of being singled out on the basis of skin color can take a heavy toll on the physical body as well, said Smith.
“If white folks intend to raise black children, they must know that denying or downplaying racial slights or taunts, for example, only adds to the misery their children must feel,” he said. “Because white Americans are least likely to understand racial discrimination and are engaged in raising black children, they must have a real incentive to help their child learn to cope.”
Inoculating children of stigmatized groups by instilling in them a sense of purpose and a strong African American identity has positive benefits on the psychological well-being of young people. Smith further stated that when white parents adopt minority children, they need to be aware of how race constitutes their children’s being. One way to help white parents gain the knowledge of racial sensitivity is to surround themselves with a multitude of black friends and mentors, not just one or two tokens.
White parents mean well, Smith said, and love their children deeply. Still, if they don’t attempt to widen their circle, even considering moving to an integrated neighborhood, they really shouldn’t adopt black children.
“It’s never a question of love,” said Smith. “The issue is, can white parents sufficiently humble themselves and do better socially and culturally for their adopted children?”
Smith, whose research area is in minority health, said that in “White Parents, Black Children” he hopes to challenge the concept of a "colorblind" America and offer suggestions to help adoptees develop a healthy sense of self.
The book is available on Amazon at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1361.
A frequent commentator on issues of race, including a New York Times post on transracial adoption and Haiti, Smith also is co-editor of the book “Black and Mormon.”
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