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Bicultural Socialization Among Adoptive Families

Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way

University of Massachusetts Amherst, kthomas{at}soc.umass.edu

Richard C. Tessler

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Although bicultural competence has been viewed as an advantage for immigrants and other ethnic minorities in American society, we do not know whether bicultural socialization is similarly advantageous for children in families formed through international, transracial adoption. This study examines what factors enable adoptive Chinese children to achieve modest levels of bicultural competence. The data are from a longitudinal survey of parents who adopted children from China in the 1990s. Results indicate that parental attitudes toward bicultural socialization, parental social networks of Chinese adults, and the racial composition of the community all affect children's levels of Chinese cultural competence, while documenting how bicultural socialization can occur even when parents and children do not share a common birth culture. The implications of the findings for adoption agencies and professionals are also discussed, as well as the need for future research as the first cohorts of children adopted from China become adolescents.

Key Words: transracial adoption • international adoption • family socialization • ethnic identity • adopted children

This version was published on September 1, 2007

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 28, No. 9, 1189-1219 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X07301115


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