Many children being adopted today, whether internationally or domestically, have a different cultural background than their adoptive parents. The long wait before “adoption day” is the perfect time to learn about the culture of origin of the child that is about to enter your life. Allowing a child to embrace the culture he/she came from will give him/her a sense of identity and a feeling of self respect. Children with a different ethnicity than their adopted parents will eventually notice that they look different than their mothers, fathers, siblings and some of their peers. If adopted children are taught to have a sense of cultural pride, their physical differences will not make them feel uncomfortable. Instead, these children will embrace their uniqueness and will be content and well adjusted.
To gain knowledge of their future child’s culture, adoptive parents should read cultural books or do research on the internet. Also, there are all kinds of special cultural classes. Learn your child’s native language or the customs of his/her birth country. Celebrate the special holidays, such as the Chinese New Year (China), Carnaval (Hispanic cultures) or Kwanzaa (African American cultures). Also, start a lifebook as soon as the referral for the adopted child is received - include photos of his/her life before the adoption and copies of reports from the adoption agency.
Adopted children want to hear their personal story – they want to know where they came from and how they came to live with their adoptive families. For children of international or multicultural adoption to thrive, they must learn about and develop pride in their birth culture.