Race Made Salient:A Journey of Awareness for White Parents of Asian Children

Abstract

This paper examines some of the impacts of transracial adoption on White parents' awareness and conceptualization of race. Current literature suggests that dominant discourse in Canada is that the country is egalitarian and celebrates diversity and multiculturism. As a result, only overt instances of racism are identified as such. While some parents in our study subscribed to this discourse prior to adopting transracially, most experienced a growing awareness of the model minority concept and understood its negative implications. As they became more culturally competent, parents spoke of the need to help their children acquire strategies, tools and support to handle intrusive questions, racial teasing, and racial isolation.