Reviews for In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories

The average rating for In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-06-14 00:00:00 Rod Lee The book is a collection of twenty-four interviews (twelve men, twelve women) of biracial and black adults who were adopted by white parents. Unquestionably worth the read for anyone interested in the topic. While there are recurring themes in the responses of the interviewees, nothing is redundant: each individual adds another layer to the reader's understanding. I especially enjoyed reading those highly self-aware adoptees who were able to explain how their own personalities molded their experiences. At times the interviewer's questions seem to lead to specific answers, more in an anticipatory fashion than a manipulative one. Still, it felt odd until one of the adoptees mentioned conversation that occurred "before taping." The interviewer really is anticipating responses based on prior knowledge. It's a subtle distinction but one I'm glad is clarified. Also noteworthy is a description on the back cover that this work is a "supplement" to empirical research contributed to the field of study by these authors. This is not intended to be a scholarly work in the same way; this is the humanizing element (and as such is perfect for my purpose as a reader). One thing I'm left wondering is how today's twenty- and thirty-year-old adoptees would respond to some of the social/racial issues, compared to the responses of these adoptees (who were born in the late 1960s-early 1970s and were interviewed in the 1990s). My perspective was broadened by this book. I was given answers to questions I never would have thought to ask. I'm not only better informed but also feel personally enriched by the glimpse into these life stories.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-05-08 00:00:00 Scott Parker If you are in a transracial family or thinking about becoming one through adoption, this is a MUST READ for you. Here is our review from a previous blog post: We have read a great book called In Thier Own Voices by Simon and Rhoorda. It is a compilation of testimonies from transracially adopted children and has many statistics comparing these children with children raised by same race parents. Here are some of the findings in this book: * The quality of parenting was more important than whether the black child had been inracially or transracially adopted * Tranracial adoptive parents experience some challenges but all parents successfully met those challenges * Transracial adoptees (TRAs) are more likely to be attached to their parents than same-race adoptees * TRAs developed comparably strong senses of black identity * 90% of the TRAs said it made little to no difference that their siblings were of a different racial background * When asked who they would turn to with a serious personal problem, the TRAs were more likely to turn to their parents or siblings than birth children or white adopted children