Intercountry,transracial adoption and ethnic identity: A Korean example

Abstract

Intercountry, transracial adoptions, such as adoptions of Korean and Chinese children by American families, raise questions about the formation of ethnic identities of the adoptees. Such questions were addressed in a study of 40 Korean adopted children and their American parents. It was found that a high degree of involvement by children in Korean cultural activities was positively associated with scores measuring the strength of the children's Korean identity as well as with ease of communication with their parents about their adoptions. Parental encouragement of cultural activities and co-participation in them seemed to be critical in the development of ethnic identification.