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Korean Adoptees as Parents: Intergenerationality of Ethnic, Racial, and Adoption Socialization
Author(s) -
Zhou Xiang,
Kim JaeRan,
Lee Heewon,
Lee Richard M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/fare.12439
Subject(s) - socialization , ethnic group , thematic analysis , race (biology) , psychology , multiculturalism , developmental psychology , social psychology , gender studies , qualitative research , sociology , social science , pedagogy , anthropology
Objective Using a socialization framework, this study aimed to understand the intergenerational patterns of ethnic, racial, and adoption socialization practices. Background Understanding the impact of ethnicity, race, and adoption is a lifelong process for transracially, transnationally adopted individuals. Few studies, however, have explored how adult adoptees socialize their children on ethnicity, race, and adoption and to what extent this socialization is informed by their own transracial, transnational adoption experiences. Method On the basis of 51 interviews, we investigated adopted Korean Americans' reappraisal of their ethnic, racial, and adoption socialization experiences growing up transracially and transnationally, as well as their current ethnic, racial, and adoption socialization practices with their children. Results Despite the generally limited ethnic, racial, and adoption socialization from White adoptive parents, we found via thematic analysis that Korean adoptee parents used strategies such as reculturation with their children, birth family involvement, and emphasis in multiculturalism in response to the need for ethnic, racial, and adoption socialization in the next generation. Conclusion These themes reflect the unique intergenerational transmission of ethnic heritage, racial experiences, and adoption history based on having grown up in transracial and transnational adoptive families. Implications Findings can inform evidence‐based practice in working with adopted individuals and their families, particularly in addressing ethnic, racial, and adoption socialization practices.