Adopting a child of a different race? Let's talk | Susan Devan Harness | TEDxMileHigh

Comments · 144

• NJ

  @njcronk · 5 years ago (edited)

  I am horrified by what your dad send to you when he was drunk. I am so sorry. You are such a beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful woman. You give us all courage. I have watched hundreds of videos of reunions of adopted kids. Closed adoptions have caused so much pain and suffering. The world needs to understand everyone has a RIGHT to know who they are from the earliest years.

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• MA

  @maryanncardi · 6 years ago

  All adoptees would like to know their culture.....I am white but looked very different (olive skin and brown eyes/hair) my aparents where blond with blue eyes my brother and sister were blond with blue eyes......it was so horrible every one (school/ neighborhood, random people in public)knew and commented that I was adopted. I use to dream about who my mother was. At times I would wonder if Cher was my mother (when I was young). Once I found my bparents I looked like someone.....I had my identity. It was amazing! (a little bit of Italian/ Native American/ Irish and British

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• EN

  @englishcloud6299 · 7 years ago

  I want to adopt in the future and I will definitely not rule out trans racial adoption. And if ever that is the case I want to do it right. I want them to feel pride in their culture. I want them to feel pride and knowledgeable on their history and culture. I want them to feel at home in our culture while also being familiar and passionate about their own. I know this sounds like a utopia but I will try my absolute hardest to make it reality.

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• FO

  @focusbyhing · 7 years ago

  As a TRA I relate a lot to Susan's experiences, up until when we was able to connect and meet her birth family.

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• SU

  @superfrump07 · 6 years ago

  She did a very nice job explaining everything. But her example of the Indian woman, Tasha, in New Zealand has a few issues. Because of her native Indian culture, Tasha’s daughter had to be given up for adoption. I think it’s great that her daughter got adopted and also has contact with her birth mother and thus her heritage. However, just because it is one’s culture, doesn’t make it free from criticism. Lest we forget, it was that very culture which made Tasha give up her daughter for fear of excommunication in the first place! So be proud of your heritage, but also, don’t be afraid to criticize and question parts of a culture or heritage that are harmful or incorrect.

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• DI

  @DiscordMistake · 6 years ago

  I was actually really sad that this is still something we need to talk about, but then I realized that we've come so far in such a short span of time. I've seen so many people in the comment section that are disappointed that we still need to talk about this but remember, we've come so far!

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• CH

  @cheadlevideo · 2 years ago

  That's tough. We should all mix as long as nobody is stepping on our rights. Kids should be able to choose to see one or both parents.

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• NU

  @nutellachickeee1251 · 6 years ago (edited)

  i just had an argument with my friends about adoption and honestly im here and happy to see that there are many people who have the same belief as me in adoption. they argued that there were people like cinderella who suffered when adopted. people like harry potter. but they never thought about people who have only grown to their fullest potential because someone amazing had decided to give them the chance to.

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• GY

  @Gysele874 · 3 years ago

  Incredibly relatable. Thank you. My adoptive parents are Dutch and African. I'm Indonesian. I was raised in Washington DC. The world has been extremely unkind. I hope people do serious research before TRA. I'm only saying that because I'm almost 50 now and seriously damaged.

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• CH

  @chrispinmuhuna6205 · 3 years ago

  The woman with pure heart ❤

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• AB

  @Ablebodyfitness_17 · 4 years ago

  This  Is Amazing and I Can relate to your story completely, I lost both of my parents at very young age and grow up in orphanage from the age of 6-11, then I had the opportunity to be adopted to a different race, culture and language in Phoenix Arizona. Thank  you for sharing your story

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• D.

  @d.blaze901 · 4 years ago

  Great conversation and perspective!!