Virtually all of the research on the importance of culture in adoption has been on transracial adoption. Little is known about the importance of culture when racially similar children are adopted. Rhoda Scherman and Niki Harré interviewed 112 New Zealand adoptive families of primarily European descent, with 162 predominately Russian and Romanian adoptive children, concerning their experiences and attitudes about the importance of their children's birth culture and the types of cultural activities they engaged in. Results showed that the majority of families did engage in both formal and informal cultural activities and made efforts to socialise with people of their child's ethnicity. Many parents kept part or all of their child's original name. The majority of children were perceived by their parents to identify with both the New Zealand and the birth culture. Future research is planned to examine the relationship between experience with birth culture and the development of a positive self-concept in international adoptees.
AndujoE, ‘Ethnic identity of transethnically adopted Hispanic adolescents’, Social Work33: 6, pp 531–35, 1988.
2.
BartholetE, ‘Race matching in adoption: An American perspective’, in GaberIAldridgeJ (eds), In the Best Interests of the Child: Culture, identity and transracial adoption, London: Free Association Books, 1994.
3.
BauschRSerpeR, ‘Negative outcomes of interethnic adoption of Mexican American children’, Social Work42: 2, pp 136–43, 1997.
4.
CarstensCJuliáM, ‘Ethnoracial awareness in intercountry adoption: US experiences’, International Social Work43: 1, pp 61–73, 2000.
5.
CastleJGroothuesCBredenkampDBeckettCO'ConnorTRutterM, ‘Effects of qualities of early institutional care on cognitive attainment’, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry69: 4, pp 424–37, 1999.
6.
ChisholmK, ‘A three-year follow-up of attachment and indiscriminate friendliness in children adopted from Romanian orphanages’, Child Development69: 4, pp 1092–106, 1998.
7.
CrossW, ‘A two-factor theory of black identity: Implication for the study of identity development in minority children’, in PhinneyJRotheramM (eds), Children's Ethnic Socialization, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1987.
8.
CrossW, ‘I hate Chinese school!’, Adoptive Families31: 5, pp 22–3, 1998.
DiVirgilioL, ‘Adjustment of foreign children in their adoptive homes’, Child Welfare35: 9, pp 15–21, 1956.
11.
FlynnL, ‘Naming older children in adoption’, Children Today10: 6, pp 9, 1981.
12.
FreundlichM, Adoption and Ethics: The role of race, culture, and national origin in adoption, Washington DC: Child Welfare League of America, 2000.
13.
FriedlanderMLarneyLSkauMHotalingMCuttingMSchwamM, ‘Bicultural identification: Experiences of internationally adopted children and their parents’, Journal of Counseling Psychology47: 2, pp 187–98, 2000.
14.
GillOJacksonB, Adoption and Race: Black, Asian and mixed-race children in white families, London: Batsford Academic and Educational, 1983.
15.
GriffithK, New Zealand Adoption History and Practice, Social and Legal: 1840–1996, Wellington, NZ: K C Griffith, MBA, 1996.
16.
GrozeVIleanaD, ‘A follow-up study of adopted children from Romania’, Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal13, pp 541–65, 1996.
17.
HallC, ‘Please choose one: Ethnic identity choices for biracial individuals’, in RootM (ed), Racially Mixed People in America, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1992.
18.
HuhNReidW, ‘Intercountry, transracial adoption and ethnic identity: A Korean example’, International Social Work43: 1, pp 75–87, 2000.
19.
IrhammarMCederbladM, ‘Outcome of intercountry adoption in Sweden’, in SelmanP (ed), Intercountry Adoption: Developments, trends and perspectives, London: BAAF, 2000.
20.
IwanekM, ‘Adoption in New Zealand — past, present and future’, in SprengersK (ed), Adoption and Healing: Proceedings of the International Conference on Adoption and Healing, Wellington: New Zealand Adoption Education & Healing Trust, 1997.
21.
JacobsJ, ‘Identity development in biracial children’, in RootM (ed), Racially Mixed People in America, London: Sage Publications, 1992.
22.
JaffeeBFanshelD, How they Fared in Adoption: A follow-up, New York: Columbia University Press, 1970.
23.
JohnsonD et al, ‘The health of children adopted from Romania’, The Journal of the American Medical Association268: 24, pp 3446–452, 1992.
24.
JudgeS, ‘Eastern European adoptions: Current status and implications for intervention’, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education19: 4, pp 244–52, 1999.
KerwinCPonterottoJJacksonBHarrisA, ‘Racial identity in biracial children: A qualitative investigation’, Journal of Counseling Psychology40, pp 221–31, 1993.
27.
KimW, ‘International adoption: A case review of Korean children’, Child Psychiatry and Human Development25: 3, pp 141–54, 1995.
28.
KirkD, Shared Fate: A theory and method of adoptive relationships, Port Angeles, Washington: Ben-Simon Publications, 1984.
29.
LeeV, ‘A cultural challenge to Caucasian adoptive parents’, in CunninghamSBowerJ (eds), Parenting Resource Manual, St Paul, MN: North American Council on Adoptable Children, 1998.
30.
MainemerHGilmanLAmesE, ‘Parenting stress in families adopting children from Romanian orphanages’, Journal of Family Issues19: 2, pp 164–81, 1998.
31.
MarcovitchS et al, ‘Determinants of behavioural problems in Romanian children adopted in Ontario’, International Journal of Behavioral Development20: 1, pp 17–31, 1997.
32.
McRoyRZurcherL, Transracial and Inracial Adoptees: The adolescent years, Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 1983.
33.
MeierD, ‘Cultural identity and place in adult Korean-American intercountry adoptees’, Adoption Quarterly3: 1, pp 15–48, 1999.
34.
ModellJDambacherN, ‘Making a “real” family: Matching and cultural biologism in American adoption’, Adoption Quarterly1: 2, pp 3–33, 1997.
35.
PullarV, Romanian Babies: Robbery or rescue?, Wellington, NZ: Daphne Brasell Associates Press, 1991.
36.
RomneyP, ‘Reflecting on race and family identity: Therapy with a multiracial adoptive family’, In Session: Psychotherapy in Practice1, pp 87–99, 1995.
37.
RutterMO'ConnorTBeckettC et al, ‘Recovery and deficit following profound early deprivation’, in SelmanP (ed), 2000, below.
38.
SétersdalBDalenM, ‘Identity formation in a homogeneous country’, in SelmanP (ed), 2000, below.
39.
SelmanP, ‘Intercountry adoption in the new millennium: “The quiet migration” revisited’, Population Research & Policy Review21: 3, pp 205–25, 2002.
40.
SilvermanB, ‘Cultural connections in international adoption’, Adoption Therapist8: 1, pp 1–4, 1997.
41.
StonequistE, ‘The problem of marginal man’, American Journal of Sociology41: 1, pp 1–12, 1935.
42.
ThomasD, ‘Culture and ethnicity: Maintaining the distinction’, Australian Journal of Psychology38: 3, pp 371–80, 1986.
43.
TizardB, ‘Intercountry adoption: A review of the evidence’, Journal of Child Psychiatry32: 5, pp 743–56, 1991.
TrolleyBWallinJHansenJ, ‘International adoption: Issues of acknowledgement of adoption and birth culture’, Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal12: 6, pp 465–79, 1995.
46.
VerhulstF, ‘The development of internationally adopted children’, in SelmanP (ed), 2000, above.
47.
VerhulstFBiemanH, ‘Developmental course of problem behaviors in adolescent adoptees’, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry34: 2, pp 151–60, 1995.
48.
ZuñigaM, ‘Transracial adoption: Educating the parents’, Journal of Multicultural Social Work1, pp 17–31, 1991.
