Birthmarks: Transracial Adoption in Contemporary America
"[An] empathetic study of meanings of cross-racial adoption to adoptees."-Law and Politics Book Review,Vol. 11, No. 11, Nov. 2001"This superb study of transracial adoption in the United States addresses profoundly vexing and divisive questions about the social, biological, cultural, and political meanings of identity. Displaying a rare blend of sociological wisdom, empathy, and eloquence, BirthMarks demonstrates how and why there can be no such thing as color-blind families or adoption policies so long as the color line remains an intractable American dilemma. Anyone who cares about the changing contours of families and race today should eagerly adopt this marvelous book."-Judith Stacey,author ofIn the Name of the Family"A compelling mixture of voices and social analysis . . . required reading for anyone seriously interested in adoption and families in a multiracial world."-Maxine Baca Zinn,Michigan State University"BirthMarksclarifies the complexities of transracial adoption, but it does much more than this. Sandra Patton's detailed and sensitive research helps us understand the depths of racial identity itself. The lesson here is that racial identity is not something given, but something achieved. This resonates not just for the adoptees Patton studies, but for us all. It suggests immense possibilities for resisting racism. Transcending the simplistic 'pro vs. con' debate about transracial adoption, Patton strives to present racial formation as a highly nuanced process of becoming oneself."-Howard Winant,Temple University