In Their Parents' Voices: Reflections on Raising Transracial Adoptees

by Rita J. Simon, Rhonda M. Roorda

Rita J. Simon and Rhonda M. Roorda's In Their Own Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories shared the experiences of twenty-four black and biracial children who had been adopted into white families in the late 1960s and 70s. The book has since become a standard resource for families and practitioners, and now, in this sequel, we hear from the parents of these remarkable families and learn what it was like for them to raise children across racial and cultural lines.

These candid interviews shed light on the issues these parents encountered, what part race played during thirty plus years of parenting, what they learned about themselves, and whether they would recommend transracial adoption to others. Combining trenchant historical and political data with absorbing firsthand accounts, Simon and Roorda once more bring an academic and human dimension to the literature on transracial adoption.

Genres: Adoption, Parenting

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2007

About the author

Rita J. Simon is a University Professor in the School of Public Affairs and the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. She has published more than forty books and is currently the editor of Gender Issues.

Reviews

[Dayspring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the years, Rita Simon has published multiple books based on her research regarding transracial adoption. This book shares parents' perspectives, taken from Simon's interviews with transracial adoptive parents.

[Laura LeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read in this series. It was helpful for me as a transracial adoptive parent to hear the reflections of other transracial adoptive parents - what they feel they did well, what they would have changed, their motivations for adopting, etc. While I may not necessarily agree with the thoughts or opinions of all of these adoptive parents, it was helpful to hear them reflect on their experiences in their own words. The more I can educate myself on transracial adoptive parenting, the better especially as it will help positively impact my son.