“I’m learning not to tell you”: Korean transracial adoptees’ appraisals of parental racial socialization strategies and perceived effects.

Abstract

Although studies generally find that transracially adopted children who are socialized in their birth or ethnic culture report higher levels of psychological well-being, studies of racial socialization report conflicting results (Boivin & Hassan, 2015). These inconsistencies highlight the complexity and distinctiveness of racial socialization processes and the need to better understand how parental messages about racial diversity and racism are experienced across developmental periods. Drawing on constructivist and poststructuralist paradigms, 8 focus groups explored the racial socialization narratives of 34 Korean American transracially adopted adults raised by White parents. The aims were to explore subjective experiences of parental racial socialization strategies and their perceived effect on identity development and other key areas of functioning. Analysis of focus group transcripts was informed by grounded theory and narrative frameworks. Parent socialization strategies were classified as avoidant (color-blind or passive/child-choice), ambivalent, or engaged (active/ child-focused or participatory/multicultural family). Avoidant and ambivalent approaches were most common and reinforced by participants' own desire for racial sameness in childhood. As participants traversed middle childhood and adolescence, they increasingly viewed avoidant and ambivalent parents as vulnerable, biased, and ill equipped to handle the racial realities of their lives. The perceived fragility of these parents led participants to suppress stories of racial marginalization and oppression, created distance in the relationship, impeded the process of identity exploration, and left them unprepared to cope with racist events. What is the public significance of this article?This study suggests that White parents' avoidance and ambivalence around race-related issues affecting their transracially adopted Korean American children have adverse effects that vary across developmental periods. In adolescence, parents' perceived fragility on matters of race led participants to suppress stories of racism, created distance in the relationship, impeded identity exploration, and left them unprepared to cope with racist events.

Microfictions and Microaggressions: Counselors’ Work With Transracial Adoptees in Schools

“…Lacking support from others who implicitly understand their racialized lived experience leaves transracial adoptees feeling extremely alone (Dolan, 2015). Therefore, adoptive parents’ racial socialization approach has a substantial impact on adoptees’ development (Chang et al, 2017; Dolan, 2015). This socialization is affected by the degree to which adoptive parents embrace, acknowledge, or ignore the racial differences between themselves and their adopted child of color (Barn, 2013; Chang et al, 2017; Docan-Morgan, 2010).…”

“…Therefore, adoptive parents’ racial socialization approach has a substantial impact on adoptees’ development (Chang et al, 2017; Dolan, 2015). This socialization is affected by the degree to which adoptive parents embrace, acknowledge, or ignore the racial differences between themselves and their adopted child of color (Barn, 2013; Chang et al, 2017; Docan-Morgan, 2010). White parents of children of color may be at a disadvantage when providing healthy racial socialization of their children because they themselves may never have been directly subject to racism or been a victim of a racial microaggression, even though they are now experiencing them vicariously through their children (Langrehr, 2014).…”

“…At the same time, hearing accounts of their children’s experiences of discrimination may also fuel feelings of shame and guilt for White parents (Langrehr, 2014). As a consequence of adoptees’ perceptions of their parents’ White fragility, adoptees may decide not to discuss their encounters with microaggressions for fear of upsetting their parents (Chang et al, 2017). When their children share experiences of being teased, stigmatized, excluded, singled out, or somehow made to feel “other” because of their racial background, their status as adopted children and/or their status as transracial adoptees, adoptive parents may be unprepared to effectively support them (Chang et al, 2017).…”

“…When their children share experiences of being teased, stigmatized, excluded, singled out, or somehow made to feel “other” because of their racial background, their status as adopted children and/or their status as transracial adoptees, adoptive parents may be unprepared to effectively support them (Chang et al, 2017).…”

“…For instance, transracial adoptees may be the subject of microaggressions from people of their birth country’s racial or ethnic group who criticize them for “acting too White” or not being “real Asians” and may also be singled out by White individuals, including the members of their extended adoptive family, for “acting too Asian” (Baden, 2008; Mohanty, 2015; Wing, 2019). These experiences can be difficult to cope with, especially for youth who may not have the psychological and social resources or capacity to understand, process, and seek the support they need in these instances (Chang et al, 2017).…”