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Hi. I am not an adoptee- one of my parents is, and it was an international adoption. We met the birth family when I was young so theoretically they've been in my life for most of it. HOWEVER. I have a question. My parent... "fits" in the USA, doesn't look out of place. Except genetics is a funny thing, and I look definitively "different"... People walk up to me all the time (sometimes this is a daily thing) and start speaking to me in another language. I understand my skin is a different color, but I consider this really disrespectful. People ask where I'm from, and if I say the US, they rarely ever (!) let it rest. I don't feel like total strangers are entitled to my entire history, and anyway- it isn't even mine to tell. I've been cryptic in this post specifically for that reason. If you've found yourself in this situation, either because you're a transracial adoptee or related (a generation down, like me!), how do you respond? As it turns out, my parents kind of predicted this when I was a kid (it was already pretty apparent I was just going to be dark and have to deal with having lighter parents) and MADE me learn some of the language so I would at least have a shot, but it was never spoken in the home (both my parents spoke English growing up) so I struggle with it and color does not equal culture. I'm not necessarily trying to distance myself from my genetic lineage, but it isn't my cultural heritage and I need a way to approach this! Thanks.:confused:
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