Identity: Complicated Identities by Maya Lily Dunn

White Passing

mayalilyd — 2023-11-17 16:49:35 UTC

The Day I Passed for White

mayalilyd — 2023-11-29 16:54:24 UTC

The Best Week of Their Lives - What Happened with One Family's Pop-Up Adoption

mayalilyd — 2023-12-01 03:18:14 UTC

My Story of Love and Loss as a Transracial Adoptee

mayalilyd — 2023-12-01 03:22:54 UTC

Transracial adoption: 'I've been accused of kidnapping my white child'

mayalilyd — 2023-12-01 03:51:49 UTC

Identity crisis

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 03:24:03 UTC

Definition: Confusion about one's role in society.

Constantly need to explain their situation

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 03:24:45 UTC

Transracial adoptees may need to constantly explain their family dynamics because people who do not know them will most likely assume that the parents/guardian will be the same race as the transracial adoptee.

Give them a space to express their negative and positive emotions

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 03:26:34 UTC

Quotes such as

“Tell me more”
“What do you wish for?”
“Those feelings are normal.”

are phrases that might make the adoptee feel safe to express what they feel ("Sara Jones").

Validate children's adoption stories

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 03:27:23 UTC

Every adoptee stories are different. Having an opened mind and listening to the transracial adoption stories helps adoptees feel heard ("Sara Jones").

“Not comfortable in any group, including their own”

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 15:02:18 UTC

Someone may not feel as if they're "enough" of a group or groups, so much so that it causes them to feel uncomfortable saying if they're a member of a group or groups of people, forcing a racially ambiguous image.

Forces a false identity onto those who experience white passing

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 15:02:27 UTC

The racially ambiguous image is harmful as it not only denounces the race(s) someone is but allows others to create false identities for them that can hurt someone's perception of themselves.

Places people in a “cultural divide”

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 15:02:34 UTC

The person may feel that they feel like they are not enough, with discrimination against them within their own culture can make them feel unwanted.

Their personal identity begins to be questioned

mayalilyd — 2023-12-02 15:02:39 UTC

White passing and discrimination of such people can cause them to question who or what they are as they may feel like they're "too white" to be considered what they are. This can cause severe damage to not only their esteem but their way of thinking and lifestyle as well if nothing is done about it.

Call out microaggressions

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:11:55 UTC

Many transracial adoptees don't notice the impact of the aggressions until later on. They may feel that it is better to ignore the comments because it is "normal" for them to hear such words.

Example: "You're English is so good!"

Be opened minded and understanding

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:12:00 UTC

Do not assume anything about the student's family or experiences. You should always be aware that everything is not black and white because there are grey areas to everything around us.

Do not assume their family's ethnicity

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:13:00 UTC

Instead ask the transracial adoptee about their family. Go into a conversation with an opened mind.

Social challenges

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:19:54 UTC

Depression
- “9 percent of all adopted Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research 281 children ages 2 and older have ever been diagnosed with depression compared to 4 percent of children in the general population” (“Suicidal Thoughts”).
Stress & Anxiety
- Many transracial adoptees feel the need to fit in and be like their family members.
Trama
- Every transracial adoptee have different stories about how they were raised and treated as someone who is different from their family.
Behavior problems
- Many transracial adoptees may feel as though they are not heard or understood.

Call out microaggressions on race

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:24:44 UTC

Educate those who don’t understand the harm of microaggressions

Support students who are hurting from white passing effects

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:25:02 UTC

Encourage reaching out to reliable family and friends

Attempt to avoid teaching derogatory ideas

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:25:29 UTC

Teach how to spot derogatory ideas and hold discussions on what derogatory ideas may be.

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 03:30:44 UTC

Stories

mayalilyd — 2023-12-03 04:03:42 UTC

Stories

Confusion about one's self

2023-12-08 14:41:25 UTC

Someone can start feeling less attached to their actual race. They can question who they are and how they are portrayed to other people around them.