Race, Family, and Identity: The Impact of Transracial Adoption

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the policy, practice, theory and lived experience of transracial (or trans-ethnic) adoption. Transracial adoption involves the placement of Black, Mixed heritage and/or Asian children into white adoptive families. This practice has taken place in the UK since the 1950s, in part as a consequence of the Windrush and subsequent generations of Caribbean, African and South Asian migrants coming to the UK (Kirton, 2000; Barn and Kirton, 2012). By the 1970s, transracial adoption had become an established practice (in the UK), due to both a lack of minority ethnic adopters and an overrepresentation of Black, Mixed heritage and Asian children in the care system, and this continues to be the case today (Triseliotis, 1997; Kirton, 2000; Brown et al. 2023).   

The experiences of Black, Mixed heritage and Asian children in white adoptive families have been the subject of numerous studies in the UK, United States, Europe and elsewhere (McRoy et al. 1997; Thoburn et al. 2000; Barn, 2013). Some studies have suggested that this has had a life-long detrimental effect on the psycho-social outcomes of children, extending later into adulthood. In particular, it is argued that white families cannot provide Black, Asian and Mixed heritage children with the necessary resilience to cope with racism in society (Barn and Kirton 2012; Sissay 2012, 2020). Other studies have suggested that the psycho-social and socio- economic outcomes of Black and Asian children have often been successful (Gill and Jackson, 1983; Hayes, 1995; Thoburn et al., 2000, 2005). Yet, in spite of this success, children who have been transracially adopted feel that they are ‘white’ and/or adrift from a sense of belonging to both Black and Asian communities and wider white society (Gill and Jackson, 1983, Harris, 2014). In other words, Black children who are adopted by white parents lose any sense of their Caribbean, African and/or Asian identity and are not taught the necessary resilience to deal with the everyday trauma of racism (Gaber, 1994; Harris, 2014).

There have also been several contributions from transracial adoptees who have had negative experiences of their placement because of racism, a sense of a lack of positive racial/ethnic identity and cultural nourishment  (Harris, 2006, 2014; Samuels 2009; Sissay 2020; Karolia and Wainwright 2021). Others, though, have had a positive life-long experience, while acknowledging that they had felt a cultural and identity deficit as transracial adoptees (Samuels 2009, Harris 2014).

This has led many in Black and Asian communities, including policy makers, practitioners and, of course, transracial adoptees, to promote same-race placements (Wainwright and Ridley, 2012;  Brown et al, 2023; Cane 2023). They argue that the key challenge is effective recruitment and support of Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic adoptive families, and that if this is achieved, it will lead to positive ethnic matching of Black and Asian children with adoptive families of the same heritage (Ridley and Wainwright, 2013; Cane 2023). Further, where transracial placements still take place, there needs to be rigorous anti-racist training for prospective adoptive families and practitioners to ensure that Black, Asian and Mixed heritage children and birth parents receive the necessary support in such placements (Cane 2023).

This is an opportunity to take stock and explore where theory, empirical findings, policy, practice and the lived experiences of transracial adoptees, as well as birth and adoptive parents, are situated. We welcome submissions from all the abovementioned experts that continue to explore the experiences and outcomes of this practice today.

It is requested that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor, jpwainwright@lancashire.ac.uk, or to the Genealogy editorial office (genealogy@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purpose of ensuring proper fit with the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

References

1. Barn, Ravinder. 2013. 'Doing the right thing': transracial adoption in the USA. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 36(8), pp.1273-1291
2. Barn, Ravinder, and Derek Kirton. 2012. Transracial Adoption in Britain: Politics, Ideology and Reality. Adoption and Fostering 36: 25–37. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
3. Brown, Laurelle, Lydia Samuel and Sherelle Park 2023. The Black Adoption Project: Phase 1 Report.: Adopt London: Laurelle Brown Consultancy/BAP.  Black-Adoption-Project-Phase-1-Report-March2023.pdf accessed 23^rd September 2025
4. Cane, Tam. "BRAC2eD model: An approach to de-bias decision-making in adoption assessments with prospective adopters from minoritised ethnic groups." Adoption & Fostering 47, no. 1 (2023): 58-76.
5. Gaber, Ivor. 1994. Transracial placements in Britain: A history. In The Best Interests of the Child: Culture, Identity and Transracial Adoption. Edited by Ivor Gaber and Aldridge Jane. London: Free Association Books. [Google Scholar]
6. Gill, Owen, and Barbara Jackson. 1983. Adoption and Race: Black, Asian and Mixed Race Children in White Families. London: BAAF. [Google Scholar]
7. Hayes, Peter. "The ideological attack on transracial adoption in the USA and Britain." International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 9, no. 1 (1995): 1-22.
8. Karolia, Ismail, and John Wainwright. "We Are the Same, but Different: A Duoethnography of People of Colour Who Are Care Leavers." Genealogy 4, no. 3 (2020): 80.
9. McRoy, Ruth G., Zena Oglesby, and Helen Grape. 1997. Achieving same-race adoptive placements for African American children: Culturally sensitive practice approaches. Child Welfare 76: 85–104. [Google Scholar]
10. Ridley, Julie, and John Peter Wainwright. "Themes, Issues and Practice Dilemmas in Ethnically Matched Adoption Placements." The International Journal of Diverse Identities 12, no. 2 (2013): 25-36.
11. Samuels, Gina M. 2009. Being Raised by White People: Navigating Racial Difference Among Adopted Multiracial Adults. Journal of Marriage and Family 71: 80–94. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
12. Sissay, Lemn. 2012. On inter-racial adoption, Cameron is wrong, colour blindness is a disability. The Guardian 13: 3–12. [Google Scholar]
13. Sissay, Lemn. 2020. My Name Is Why: A Memoir. Edinburgh: Canongate. [Google Scholar]
14. Thoburn, June, Liz Norford, and Stephen Rashid. 2000. Permanent Family Placement for Children of Minority Ethnic Origin. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. [Google Scholar]
15. Thoburn, June, Ashok Chand, and Joanne Procter. 2005. Child Welfare Services for Minority Ethnic Families: The Research Reviewed. London: Jessica Kingsley. [Google Scholar]
16. Triseliotis, John P., Joan F. Shireman, and Marion Hundleby. 1997. Adoption. Theory, Policy and Practice. London: Cassell. [Google Scholar]
17. Wainwright, John, and Julie Ridley. "Matching, ethnicity and identity: reflections on the practice and realities of ethnic matching in adoption." Adoption & Fostering 36, no. 3-4 (2012): 50-61. 

Dr. John Wainwright
Guest Editor

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• transracial
• adoption
• adoptees
• racism
• ethnicity
• minoritized
• identity