Bergin and Garvey, Westport CT ©2001.
ISBN 0-89789-812-5
Revew by: James L. Weaver, FCC webmaster.
Disclaimer: This work is based on a survey advertised on the FCC website in 1999-2000, FCC has no connection with the work or its conclusions beyond this link.
This excellent book by Jay & Jacy Rojewski starts from a similar place as the book West Meets East by by Richard Tessler, Gail Gamache and Liming Liu. In both cases the authors began with a survey of several hundred families who have adopted children from China. This work is based on a survey done in 1999-2000 and benefits from the additional several years that have elapsed since survey by Tessler et al which was done in 1996-1997. This is a formal acedemic presentation with notes and extensive supporting references for those interested in exploring the professional literature.
This book is more focused on the post adoption issues concerning both the parents and children in China adoption families. It begins by a general exploration of the history of intercountry adoption into the U.S. and follows with a good description of the China adoption process many of us are very familiar with. The book then goes into a well referenced discussion of attachment issues. This is followed by discussions of how and to what extent familes bring Chinese heritage and culture into their families, and a chapter on racial issues, discrimination, and the reactions of others to our families. The book continues with a chapter on the differences between families who adopt due to infertility and the other major groups, those who already have children and single parents. The book winds up with a chapter on the process of developing a cultural identity that may be too technical for those without a background in psychology or social theory. The last chapter has the authors conclusions and lays out their views on areas where research is needed to help understand this new population of children from China.
I found this book to be quite interesting and quite valuable for its extensive exploration of the research on the development and outcome of children adopted from Korea who are now adults. It also brings in the extensive research on how African-American children adopted by Caucasian families adjust and develop ethnic identification. The authors well supported conclusions are that both populations turn out to be as well adjusted as biological children. The results from the research on Korean adoptees suggest that maintaining contact with and respect for Korean culture was helpful in development of a balanced cultural identity.
This book would be valuable for parents who are interested in some of the issues that will be coming to the forefront as our children grow up. The language can be technical in places but it is worth wading through for the nuggets of information useful to China famlies. It should be read by adoption professionals dealing with China adoptions for the backgroud and to allow them to accurately answer the questions that many prospective families have.The good news from this book is that while we are facing some significant issues, the outlook is generally good for our children. It is perhaps a winding road but not a minefield.
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