Legal Definitions - interracial adoption

Interracial adoption refers to the legal process where a child is adopted by parents (or a single parent) who are of a different racial or ethnic background than the child. This creates a family unit where there is a noticeable difference in racial identity between the adoptive parent(s) and the adopted child.

• Example 1: A Caucasian couple living in the United States decides to adopt a baby from their local foster care system who is of African American descent.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates interracial adoption because the adoptive parents are Caucasian, while the child they are adopting is African American, representing distinct racial backgrounds within the new family.

• Example 2: A single Hispanic woman adopts a young girl from an orphanage in Vietnam.

  Explanation: Here, the adoptive mother is Hispanic, and the child is of East Asian descent. Their differing racial and ethnic backgrounds, even across international borders, clearly define this as an interracial adoption.

• Example 3: An African American couple adopts a child who is identified as being of mixed Caucasian and Native American heritage.

  Explanation: In this instance, the adoptive parents are African American, while the child possesses a distinct mixed-race identity that is different from both of their racial backgrounds. This difference in racial heritage between the parents and the child makes it an interracial adoption.