Comments on: Teaching my children about their racial identities

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:13:15 +0000

We have 3 sons from Ethiopia, 2 daughters from Portugese/African-American descent, and 2 bio kids (we are Scots/Irish) so we also face the transracial/multi-ethnicity question. I agree with your statement and think that is a very helpful way of putting it. We use a similar statement as that and we also often attach a few practical examples of ‘how’ we do it. People seem to get the philosophical approach when they can see how it plays out.

Jerusalem – I think we are talking about what a Jewish Jesus would do – not ‘white’ and not ‘black’. I think Connie’s comment is a great one. Adopting transracially is a great illustration of what the Father through the Son has done. He has adopted transracially. Before I became a Christian I was infatuated with my heritage and I was a very proud Irishman. When I met Jesus I became a very proud son of God. I still identify myself as a Scots/Irish, but my hope, pleasure, and future is bound up in my new identity – Christian.

Great post Dorothy.

By: jerusalem

jerusalem — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:47:11 +0000

All people belongs to an etnicity what you in US love to call “race”. Start by acknowledging your own ethnicity which is WHITE (in your colour categories). Read the book “White” by Richard Dyer and understand the impact and how it works to make everything WHITE transparent and the Other diffrent.

Then talk to you kids.
That is what a black jesus would do!

By: Connie @ Chosen Child

Connie @ Chosen Child — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:16:52 +0000

Even with our children–who aren’t ‘obviously’ adopted (ours are Russian-born)–the topic of heritage/culture is very often raised by them, by strangers, and sometimes close friends or family.

To me it’s yet another ‘living illustration’ of what God does for his adopted children–they still look the same, their ‘history’ has not been changed or replaced, but oh how He changes their future! :-)