The task is to take pieces from both cultures that feel right and comfortable and to integrate them. Dooner s advice to adoptees is to be proud of who they are and enjoy the beauty in the culture of their birth country. The growth of Minnesota s Latino population, now 125,000 strong, means adoptees have more resources for learning about the complexities of their cultures. For adopted children, having lunch at Mercado Central and then going back to the suburbs can feel like having to put on different masks. Adoptive parents should make sure the topic of adoption is always open for discussion, Dooner says.
Parents have a duty to provide kids with resources and education to learn about their birth country.
An important part of this education is learning the language, she adds. Dooner says parents also should be supportive when their children encounter bigotry and prejudice. It s hard for adoptees to come to grips with racism because, internally, we are American, she says. We love hamburgers and French fries, and we have Caucasian parents. And parents should help their children connect with Latin American mentors.