"It goes without saying that the birth mother has the first right and we will, with a heavy heart, part with this child who has become beloved and dear to us, as long as it is in the best interest of the child"
There is a fascinating AP story on Nazi Germany's efforts to ensure an Aryan race via what would now be called international adoption. It reminds me of stories that I had heard of similar efforts in Japan during WWII. I found the above quote to be very thought provoking, as it was said by the German adoptive mother after returning the child to her birthparents in Poland.
Posted by richlee at May 9, 2007 02:20 PMHi Rich,
I didn't see any contact info for you, and was hoping to hear more from you about a topic you mentioned in your post on August 03, 2006 (Ramblings on The Hague :: Where Adoption and Beach Intersect).
I am a student interested in the motivations for and effects of international adoption, and have also noticed a lack of dialogue between adoptive parents and adult adoptees. Is it because adult adoptees tend to be among the more vocal critics of int'l adoption? Perhaps adult adoptees' stories can be disenchanting for pre-adoptive parents? If stories about the underbelly of the "baby business" deter parents from adoption, then it's probably not in the interest of adoption professionals to provide a more effective screening process. I guess I'm assuming that parents would be deterred by seeing the bigger picture, and I'm not sure how much of that is an assumption on my part. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this.
Posted by: bea at May 10, 2007 03:06 PM