In the last month, both Charlize Theron and Jillian Michaels went public with the news of adding to their family through adoption. In both cases, their new additions are black children, which has sparked a flurry of Internet commenters to question the "trend" of white celebrities adopting black babies. This conversation has become a predictable subject every time a celebrity adopts a child of color. It usually takes a cynical tone, as if black children are a fashionable accessory... this year's Manolo Blahniks. Frankly, I'm a little weary of the scrutiny, and of the idea that transracial adoption is merely a trend. I'm going to attempt to answer that question, and then I'm going to suggest some more relevant questions we should be asking about race and adoption. But first:
Why do so many celebrities adopt in the first place?
While I certainly don't know the motivations of each and every celebrity in terms of why they've chosen adoption, I would guess that their reasons are similar to the general population when it comes to this choice. While some may have been interested in adoption all along, it's likely that many of these women focused on their careers in their 20's and 30's and then found themselves ready to be parents, only to discover that their fertility was on the decline. This is a phenomenon that is not exclusive to celebrities -- many women who choose to put off childbirth in favor of professional pursuits discover, too late, that their ovaries were ready to party a decade ago and no longer feel like cooperating. It's documented that 50% of women over the age of 35 will struggle to conceive. And while many of the recent celebrity adoptive moms may look young and fit and healthy, no amount of working out or botox or expensive skin creams are going to make a woman immune to the frustrating facts about fertility and maternal age. I would guess this plays into why so many celebrities adopt. It also bears mentioning that there are plenty of actresses who choose to undergo fertility treatments or who use surrogates to carry their biological children -- a fact that seems to receive much less scorn than women who adopt children of color. I would also venture to guess that for every celebrity who is public about her fertility treatments, there are several who are keeping mum about the details of how they conceived a child in their 40's.
When I look at the celebrities who've adopted transracially in the last five years or so, nearly all of them are over 40. Sandra Bullock, Kristin Davis, and Mary-Louise Parker are all 47. Connie Britton is 45. Mariska Hargitay is 48. Do I think that these women made the decision to adopt because they wanted to be trendy? No. I think they wanted a family, and their age and/or single status posed a challenge. That's my guess as to why they adopted in general, but let's look at the question more often being asked:
Why did they adopt black children?
I think to answer this question, it's important to note that adopting black children is not, in fact, a fad. The truth is that racial bias in adoption preference is very prevalent, with black children waiting the longest to find a family. Here are some numbers culled by Love Isn't Enough that represent online profiles of adoptive families and what races they are open to adopting:
88% would 'accept' a White baby
33% would 'accept' a South American or Hispanic baby
28% would 'accept' an Asian baby
14% would 'accept' a Black baby
This is true of international adoption as well. Only 7% of internationally adopting parents adopt black children, with most prospective adoptive parents preferring to adopt a child of Asian or Eastern European descent.
We were told at an informational meeting by an adoption agency in California that the wait for healthy white infants was over two years because there are so many prospective adoptive parents unwilling to adopt a child of color. On the other hand, in most states there are black children waiting for families. As such, when you fill out your adoption paperwork, if you state that you are open to any race, the chances are pretty high that you will be matched with a child of color. For a variety of reasons, it appears that celebrities are more apt to be open to black children. I would imagine this is, in part, because they are more traveled, have worked in diverse settings, live in cities like LA or NYC where there is a lot of racial diversity, and because they have means to provide a child with broad cultural experiences. (It also bears noting that there are many African-American celebrities who have adopted black children as well: Shonda Rhimes, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, and Reverend Run, to name a few).
Knowing what I know about racial preference in adoption, this is why criticism of celebrity transracial adoption irks me the most. Would it have been preferable for these women to have indicated that they would rather wait for a white child? Would it have been more noble for them to pass over the kids waiting for families, because God forbid they be accused of following a trend in their quest for building a family?
Some better questions to ask
There are better questions to ask when it comes to transracial adoption and child welfare. I would so much rather see people questioning why black children are overrepresented in foster care and adopting waiting lists and how many are aging out without families and what we, as a nation, can do for the thousands of waiting children who won't be adopted by a couple dozen celebrities. As for celebrities who've adopted children of color, I'm thrilled that these kids have found a family, famous or not.
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More people need to open their hearts and minds and ask themselves why they really want a child. Do you want a child because you want to nurture, love, and support someone or do you want to exclusively have a biological child because it looks like you.
I do not believe in fertility treatments. I've commented many times about the moral corruption of the fertility industry. I dont think it is right.
I knew the statistics on African babies. I will most likely add to my family through adoption and I want to take the most needed child.
It breaks my heart that people actually believe adopting a black child is a trend. Perhaps for a small percentage it is, but adoption/raising children is a LIVELONG endeavor.
I do agree White parents should expose the child to positive black role models, peers and social experiences but overall kids need love and stability and they don't necessary get it being bounced from place to place in foster care.
I think you should talk to some adults who have actually lived the experience; you may get a better understanding.
Just one comment on language:
My husband and I have two children, a son by birth and a daughter by transracial adoption.
As anyone who is touched by adoption knows, they are both "our own."
I think transcultural/race adoption is fine as long as you are willing to put in the EXTRA work to learn and have them learn about their culture. I think it's terrible to adopt a child different than you and try to teach that there are no differences, you rob them of their culture.
We are all different but equal as human beings. We need to teach respect and appreciation for those difference as a way to enrich all of our lives, not attempt to be colorblind and make everyone the same.
Thing salad bowl not melting pot =-)
Now with that said reading this article and her own stated statistics I don't see how it's not at least of that celebrities are adopting "so many Black babies." If only 7% of all international adoptions are Black children how are so many ending up in HollyWeird? Seems to me that would be 7 out of 100 children internationally are Black yet Hollywood are adopting them at what appears to be a rate of 1 of 2 or 1 of 3. (Those aren't real figures just my own observations.)
I am bi-racial, adopted by white parents and got asked many questions (mainly about adoption in general but some about race). I did not like it initially and felt different (all kids want to fit in), but if it is dealt with open and honestly, it is a great learning experience for everyone.
By the way, nothing is wrong with having criteria if you are planning to adopt (you should have some basic criterial age...etc). Especially if you are not the right person to be put in a unique situation. You already have the adoption issue to deal with so to add race may not be good for some parents depending on their attitudes of others. ie. my grandparents said some things about blacks and mixed marrigers that were misinformed but as I got older I understood the situation differently and it did not bother me as much.
You must be open to it...fortunately for my brother and I our parents were up to it.
And in Hollyweird, "cool" must be obtained no matter how stupid, ignorant or destructive it is.
Second of all, If a rich celeb is going to adopt, I think it should be one of those babies we read about that has suffered horrific abuse, or suffered from being born drug addicted... Those little angels who went through so much at such a young age certainly deserve to live the good life.
Lastly, I hate that everyone wants just babies. BECAUSE of this, the state homes are full, and this means that children who desperately need to be removed from abusive homes get left there to suffer because there is nowhere to put them. It happens all the time. Don't bother to argue about it. I have done the research.....
I agree 100% that there needs to be more adoption of older kids my grandmother adopted my aunts at 10 and 7. I think at least for me that the idea of getting a baby is preferable b/c the child hasn't experienced to much and hopefully won't have to "adjust" as much to a new family.
As single woman who adopted on AA on her own, I know that there very few white babies. All you have to do is wander NYC to see all the non white babies with white parents to figure that out pretty quick.