Posted on October 26, 2009 - by Administrator
ATR 123 – Latino in America, Halloween, Chinese adoptees, racist kid
Did CNN’s documentary series “Latino in America” break new ground? Or did it simply reaffirm existing stereotypes? Why do so many people use Halloween as an opportunity to dress up as someone of a different race or ethnicity? Are the so-called “homeland tours” — in which countries like China and Korea invite adoptees to visit their birthplaces — simply public relations exercises for those countries? We all have ways of responding when someone makes racist comments. But what do you do when that person is your partner’s child? Carmen Van Kerckhove, Tami Winfrey Harris, and Arturo Garcia discuss.
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About the Host
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of New Demographic, a diversity education firm. Her perspectives on race and diversity have been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, USA Today, and The New York Times.
She hosts the podcast Addicted to Race and blogs at Racialicious and Anti-Racist Parent.
You can reach her at 646.400.5270 or team@newdemographic.com.-
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March 3, 2010
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Thomisa said:
The “Addicted to Race” segment of episode 123 about “homeland tours” really spoke to me. When listening to this segment, I was reminded of my sister, Anna. Anna was given up for adoption by her birth mother without my dad’s knowledge. I did not meet Anna until she was 21 years old when she contacted my dad. My family reluctantly entered into a relationship with Anna. This relationship became somewhat strained when my dad requested she take a DNA test to prove she was his daughter. The DNA test confirmed their relation and she has been an important part of my life ever since.
I have often wondered what my life would have been like if Anna had not been adopted. I think it is hard not to imagine what could have been in these sorts of situations. Fortunately, Anna’s adoptive parents are wonderful people who provided her with an excellent childhood.
This segment focused on the purpose of these visits. Were these “homeland tours” designed as a Public Relations stunt to create better images for these countries? Or, were these countries genuinely hoping to provide these women with valuable insight into their heritage?
I have to admit I am not overly concerned with the purpose of these visits. I do feel these countries own these women an apology for essentially discarding them. Tami made an interesting point in stating these countries are welcoming these women to return because they are now equipped with Western resources that can benefit their countries.
Regardless of the intent of these countries in creating “homeland tours,” I encourage these women to take advantage of these visits. As Judith N. Martin and Thomas K. Nakayama (2010) asserted in Intercultural Contexts in Communication, “Ethnic identity involves a shared source of origin and history… Having an ethnic identity means experiencing a sense of belonging to a particular group and knowing something about the shared experience of group members” (p. 185). In considering my own experience with adoption and this discussion of ethnic identities, I believe these “homeland tours” could provide these women with the opportunity to develop and nurture their ethnic identities.