Pray For Our Pastors

HOPEFULLY AN EASIER BICULTURAL EXPERIENCE

My wife and I are in the process of adopting a baby from China. As such, articles about the adoption experience have caught my eye more than usual. Even so, it seems there’s been a spate of stories recently on the identity crises faced by Asian kids adopted by American families. Many of them tell the inner turmoil of adoptees who grow up thinking themselves Caucasian and one day realize that everyone around them sees them as Asian. Most conclude by saying that the healthiest kids, when asked whether they are Asian or Caucasian, reply in a matter-of-fact sort of way, “Both.”

Having a bicultural identity is easier said than done, though. Which is why I hope our daughter will have an easier path to get to that place of duality. For one, it’s a journey I’ve gone on. For another, our marriage is an interracial one. Finally, we live in a big city that is very multicultural and attend a church where interracial marriages and international adoptions abound. Between all of that, it is my hope that she will be able to explore her bicultural identity, her sense of self, and her understanding of how she is perceived by others, with confidence and assurance and strength.