An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the
unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they
navigate multiple cultures
“Your parents are
so amazing for adopting you! You should be grateful that you were
adopted.”
Angela Tucker is a
Black woman, adopted from foster care by white parents. She has heard
this microaggression her entire life, usually from well-intentioned
strangers who view her adoptive parents as noble saviors. She is
grateful for many aspects of her life, but being transracially
adopted involves layers of rejection, loss, and complexity that
cannot be summed up so easily.
In You Should Be
Grateful, Tucker centers the experiences of adoptees to share
deeply personal stories, well-researched history, and engrossing
anecdotes from mentorship sessions with adopted youth. These
perspectives challenge the fairy-tale narrative of adoption, giving
way to a fuller story that explores the impacts of racism, classism,
family, love, and belonging.
