Title: Understanding culture, race, ethnicity, and migration through the study of intercountry adoption
Abstract: Intercountry adoption began shortly after World War II, but psychological research on intercountry adoption dates back to only the 1970s. Prior to then, intercountry adoption was largely seen as a humanitarian act to save the children. The overwhelming majority of research on adoptees has focused on the environmental and genetic influences on child development. From these studies, adoption has come to be viewed as a natural experiment and, by extension, intervention. Largely overlooked in these landmark studies are the cultural and racial experiences of adopted children, adolescents, and adults, as well as the ways in which adoptive families navigate these differences. Intentional or not, this oversight has enforced a dominant adoption narrative that centers the adoptive parent, infantilizes adoptees, and perpetuates a colorblind racial ideology. In this talk, I present my 25+ year journey conducting research using a range of psychological research methods on Korean Americans who were adopted transracially and transnationally into White families. Viewing adoption as a lifelong journey navigating culture, race, ethnicity, and migration, I specifically focus on the post-adoption life experiences of adopted children, adolescents, and adults, as well as the descendents of adoptees. I discuss key findings that expand our understanding of socialization, identity, belonging, and family. I also address community and methodological challenges, including what it means to do this work as a non-adopted person, and make the case that a critical adoption studies approach, informed by ethnic studies, pushes back on dominant adoption narratives and opens up new lines of psychological inquiry.
Jillian Sifuentes
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