Culture Keeping

Heather Jacobson

Description

Since the early 1990s, close to 250,000 children born abroad have been adopted into the United States. Nearly half of these children have come from China or Russia. Culture Keeping: White Mothers, International Adoption, and the Negotiation of Family Difference offers the first comparative analysis of these two popular adoption programs.

Heather Jacobson examines these adoptions by focusing on a relatively new social phenomenon, the practice by international adoptive parents, mothers in particular, of incorporating aspects of their children's cultures of origin into their families' lives. "Culture keeping" is now standard in the adoption world, though few adoptive parents, the majority of whom are white and native-born, have experience with the ethnic practices of their children's homelands prior to adopting.

Jacobson follows white adoptive mothers as they navigate culture keeping: from their motivations, to the pressures and constraints they face, to the content of their actual practices concerning names, food, toys, travel, cultural events, and communities of belonging. Through her interviews, she explores how women think about their children, their families, and themselves as mothers as they labor to construct or resist ethnic identities for their children, who may be perceived as birth children (because they are white) or who may be perceived as adopted (because of racial difference).

The choices these women make about culture, Jacobson argues, offer a window into dominant ideas of race and the "American Family," and into how social differences are conceived and negotiated in the United States.

Sujets

• Vie de famille
• Parentalité et Éducation des Enfants
• Relations familiales
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Sociology
• Discrimination

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 28 novembre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780826592538
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

CULTURE KEEPING

H E A T H E R J A C O B S O N

CuLTuRE KEEPING

Culture Keeping

White Mothers, international adoption,

and the negotiation oF FaMily diFFerenCe

hEàTHER JàcObSON

vanderbiltuniversitypress  • nashville

© 2008 by Vanderbît Unîversîty Press Nashvîe, Tennessee 37235 A rîghts reserved

12 11 10 09 08

1 2 3 4 5

Thîs book îs prînted on acîd-free paper made from 30% post-consumer recyced content. Manufactured în the Unîted States of Amerîca

Lîbrary of Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Jacobson, Heather. Cuture keepîng : whîte mothers, înternatîona adoptîon, and the negotîatîon of famîy dîfference / Heather Jacobson. p. cm. Incudes bîbîographîca references and îndex. ISBN 978-0-8265-1617-6 (coth : ak. paper) ISBN 978-0-8265-1618-3 (pbk. : ak. paper) 1. Intercountry adoptîon. 2. Cognîtîon and cuture. 3. Kînshîp. 4. Mothers. 5. Adoptîve parents. 6. Adoptîon. 7. Famîy. I. Tîte. HV875.5.J33 2008 362.734089—dc22 2008022152

1 2

3 4 5 6

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments vii The Call to Keep Culture  1 Constructing Families: Race, Adoption, and the Choice of Country  13 The Culture Keeping Agenda  53 Negotiating and Normalizing Difference  85 Adoptive Families in the Public Eye  145 Conclusion: Keeping Culture, Keeping Kin  165 Notes  177 References  183 Index  201

ackNOwLEDGmENTS

A network of peope has supported, guîded, and encouraged me as I worked on thîs book. Eary conversatîons wîth Nazî Kîbrîa, Sarah Lamb, Vaerîe Leîter, John Lîe, Debra Osno- wîtz, Jennîfer Gînsburg Rîchard, Lesîe Stebbîns, Stefan Tîm- mermans, Katarîna Wegar, and Kath Weston înformed the dîrectîon of thîs project. Later conversatîons wîth Kîmbery McCaîn DaCosta, Sara Dorow, Anîta Garey, Andrea Louîe, Lînda Rouse, Deîrdre Royster, and Beth Anne Sheton were hepfu în artîcuatîng partîcuar arguments. Conversatîons about ît a, from start to inîsh, wîth Karen V. Hansen were vîta.  Peter Conrad, Karen V. Hansen, Emîy Koker, Carmen Sîrîannî and Mary C. Waters provîded feedback on entîre drafts. Margaret Neson and Anîta Garey commented ex- tensîvey on Chapter 5, another versîon of whîch appears as “Interracîa Surveîance and Bîoogîca Prîvîege” în theîr edîtedvoume,Who’s Watchîng? Daîly Practîces of Surveîllance Among Contemporary Famîlîes (Vanderbît Unîversîty Press, forthcomîng). Chardîe Baîrd offered feedback on an împortant sectîon of the text. Ben Agger, Peter Conrad, Karen V. Han- sen, Bob Young, and Chrîstîan Zonîskî advîsed me on the book pubîshîng process.  Mîchae Ames showed enthusîasm for thîs project and

vii

viii

Culture Keeping

guîded ît from draft to manuscrîpt. I thank hîm, the revîewers, Peg Duthîe, Sue Havîsh, Jessîe Hunnîcutt, and Darîe Mayer at Vanderbît Unîversîty Press for theîr work on behaf of thîs book.  I owe a debt of gratîtude to the înternatîona-adoptîve par- ents who generousy shared the întrîcacîes of theîr îves în or- der to partîcîpate în my study. Wîthout theîr wîîngness to do so, thîs book coud not have been possîbe.  Heather Dennîng, Ingrîd Furnîss, Erîk Jacobson, Ken Jacobson, Akîko Nakaî, Toshîko Nakatsujî, Jean Neîce, Roy Watt, and Susan Watt provîded encouragement. Merrîee Ja- cobson proofread the manuscrîpt. Caroîne Gîbson Forez showed înterest în my work, read an eary draft, and cheered me on. Emîy Koker’s frîendshîp and schoary feedback were îndîspensabe. Becky Barton, Evanne Gregory, Krîstîîna Leînonen,SaîeandKeîMcCa,andSarahWîxsontook wonderfu care of Mîya whîe I was workîng.  Thîs book coud not have been wrîtten wîthout the sup- port of my husband, Seîîchîro Tanîzakî, and a he does for our famîy. Our daughter, Mîya Heen, provîded much-needed dîs- tractîon from the book and reguar doses of humor and fun. I dedîcate thîs book to Mîya and Seîîchîro. They teach me, daîy, about famîy, commîtment, and ove. I am bessed to share my îfe wîth them.  Athough I aone am responsîbe for any mîstakes that fo- ow, I thank these wonderfu peope for a they have done for me and my work.

CuLTuRE KEEPING