Political and personal aspects of intercountry adoption of Chinese children in the United States

Abstract

In this article, transracial adoption of children from the People's Republic of China (PRC), primarily by European American parents, will be explored using information from professional literature, international adoption agency publications, and papers published by professional organizations with an interest in international adoption. Three areas are addressed: (1) the sociopolitical conditions both in the People's Republic of China and the United States that result in international adoption; (2) the personal process of international adoption both in the United States and in the People's Republic of China; and (3) the possible positive and negative effects of intercountry adoption from the People's Republic of China. Finally, based on an integration of sociopolitical and personal aspects of intercountry adoption, the implications for social work practice are discussed.