Power and institutions -- Fate and faith : adoption and popular religiosity -- China : culture and place in imaginaries of exoticism -- White Russians -- Black and white crossings -- Broken links and adoption narratives : the power of storytelling -- Doing school : family trees and playground banter -- The anchors of virtual communities -- The children's search and the formation of diasporic communities -- Conclusion : ties that bind
Cover; Copyright; Title Page; Contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Power and Institutions; 2. Fate and Faith: Adoption and Popular Religiosity; 3. China: Culture and Place in Imaginaries of Exoticism; 4. White Russians; Photographs; 5. Black and White Crossings; 6. Broken Links and Adoption Narratives: The Power of Storytelling; 7. Doing School: Family Trees and Playground Banter; 8. The Anchors of Virtual Communities; 9. The Children's Search and the Formation of Diasporic Communities; Conclusion: Ties that Bind; Appendix: Characteristics of Adoptive Families Interviewed; Notes
Summary
Family-making in America is in a state of flux-the ways people compose their families is changing, including those who choose to adopt. Broken Links, Enduring Ties is a groundbreaking comparative investigation of transnational and interracial adoptions in America. Linda Seligmann uncovers the impact of these adoptions over the last twenty years on the ideologies and cultural assumptions that Americans hold about families and how they are constituted. Seligmann explores whether or not new kinds of families and communities are emerging as a result of these adoptions, providing a compelling narrative on how adoptive families thrive and struggle to create lasting ties
