International Korean Adoption

Discover the roots of international transracial adoption

International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice explores the long history of international transracial adoption. Scholars present the expert multidisciplinary perspectives and up-to-date research on this most significant and longstanding form of international child welfare practice. Viewpoints and research are discussed from the academic disciplines of psychology, ethnic studies, sociology, social work, and anthropology. The chapters examine sociohistorical background, the forming of new families, reflections on Korean adoption, birth country perspectives, global perspectives, implications for practice, and archival, historical, and current resources on Korean adoption.

International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice provides fresh insight into the origins, development, and institutionalization of Korean adoption. Through original research and personal accounts, this revealing text explores how Korean adoptees and their families fit into their family roles—and offers clear perspectives on adoption as child welfare practice. Global implications and politics, as well as the very personal experiences are examined in detail. This source is a one-of-a-kind look into the full spectrum of information pertaining to Korean adoption.

Topics in International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice include:
adoption from the Korean perspective
historical origins of Korean adoption in the United States
adjustments of young adult adoptees
marketing to choosy adopters
ethnic identity
perspectives on the importance of race and culture in parenting
birth mothers’ perspectives
sociological approach to race and identity
representations of adoptees in Korean popular culture
adoption in Australia and the Netherlands
much, much more


International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice is illuminating reading for adoptees, adoptive parents, practitioners, educators, students, and any child welfare professional.