Faculty Advisor

Dehart, Monica

Area of Study

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Publication Date

Summer 2022

Abstract

Much of the research-based on adoption comes from the perspectives of the parents, adoption agencies, and other scholars, rather than the perspectives of adoptees themselves. My participants and I make up the unique demographic of interracially adopted people currently living in the United States today. The adoptee experience is unique in the sense that identity formation is very different from other people. Interracial adoptions are very visible since the adoptee’s physical identity does not match the physical identity of their adoptive family. It leads many researchers to wonder how that racial difference impacts an adoptee’s sense of self? My research aims to uncover how adoptees cope with their identities given their unique backgrounds and also ensure that their experiences are shared with others. It is not well known how greatly adoption impacts adoptees and it is especially important to look at their stories when thinking about future generations. My summer research has been aimed at answering the question: How do adoptees cope with the impact that having an interracial adoption background has on their sense of identity especially going into adulthood?

Publisher

University of Puget Sound

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