What Adopting a Child from Africa Taught Me about America

American Thinker ^ | 02/07/2014 | By Jonathan Wakefield

[SeekAndFind]

About a year and a half ago, my wife and I flew to Ethiopia and returned to America with our newly adopted son, Amare -- the only black member of our now family of five. We expected his new brothers and extended family, our friends, church, and neighbors to embrace and love him, and they didn't disappoint us. We did not know what to expect, however, from the general American public.

We were optimistic that it would go well, but in our educational sessions about adopting internationally, some focused on the prejudices we would encounter upon our return. We were told to expect inappropriate questions, rude stares, and downright racist comments when in public with our new son. We reviewed fictional scenarios and determined how we would respond when faced with those types of challenging situations.

We prepared ourselves for the worst.

So how have we fared? Well, over the course of the eighteen months Amare has been a black American living in an 80% white family, our grand total of negative incidents is...zero. Not a single one. No rude comments or questions, no judgmental looks -- or even confused ones.

In fact, it's been the opposite. Strangers -- of all races -- have consistently gone out of their way to show us kindness. Any questions or comments have been of genuine support or interest in our family.

It's been phenomenal.

I don't say this to minimize the racial prejudices -- some quite severe -- that do still persist in America. Those are real and need to be called out. I know that other adoptive parents have encountered these issues and that we surely will as well at some point in the future.

But our experience with Amare so far demonstrates just how much America has progressed on this issue

[Ditter]

Our nephew and his wife (both white) have just adopted their 2nd black child from Ethiopia I think. I don't see them often so I don't know how they have been treated. The older child is fantastic! Smart,polite,athletic, a real treasure. I haven't met the younger one yet.

[JimRed]

So how have we fared? Well, over the course of the eighteen months Amare has been a black American living in an 80% white family, our grand total of negative incidents is...zero.

Good to hear that. They must have not yet had contact with any liberals, who would call them evil for "using" the child that way.

[PATRIOT1876]

*You're white. You're not sensitive enough to detect racially motivated looks, comments or behavior in other whites.
To you it all appears normal. Any one of color can see the racism clearly.
(I'm not really sure if I should use the /s tag or not.)
*

Sounds like a direct quote from Jesse or Al Sharpton.

[BitWielder1]

It could very well be. That's how the race hustlers think.
They see offense where none was intended.
Al and Jesse see racism in daylight and shadows.

[Myrddin]

I'm rarely home in Pocatello since Obama's election wiped out my contracts. While I was home, my wife and I would go out to eat at various restaurants in town. A Caucasian couple with two very young black girls had similar tastes in dining. While I was home for Christmas this year, I saw the mom and two young lades shopping at Fred Meyer's. They are both doing well and significantly older now. There won't be much "black experience" in Pocatello. I would be surprised if we have 50 black people in town...most are recruited football and basketball players at Idaho State.

Congrats on your success adoption experience.

[Altura Ct.]

I don't say this to minimize the racial prejudices -- some quite severe -- that do still persist in America.

Let's talk about that, shall we?

[Dr. Sivana]

I had to chuckle, because in the last census in our small county (we moved out of Rockford), we would have doubled the statistic, had we provided the information. Since they are not slaves, they are good for 100% representation, so any requests for information other than # of residents in household are not pertinent.