encyclopedia of adoption

Latinos

Many U.S. adoptive parents adopt children from Latin America; in addition, Latino children are also available to be adopted in such states as Texas, New York, Florida, California and other states with large Latino populations. Most adoptive parents are probably not of Latino ancestry.

Most agencies are willing to place Latino children with non-Latino families although some agencies make a concerted effort to place Latino children only in Latino homes of a similar culture, race and physical appearance.

A study of transethnically adopted Latino children was undertaken by Estela Andujo. Andujo studied 30 Anglo families who adopted Mexican-American children and 30 Mexican-American families who adopted Mexican-American children, both groups in the Los Angeles, California, area. She found no differences in the self-esteem levels of the children in either group; however, she did find differences in how the children perceived themselves, with the children raised in Anglo families identifying more with their white parents and identifying less with the Mexican-American community. (See also INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION.)


Estela Andujo, "Ethnic Identity of Transethnically Adopted Hispanic Adolescents," Social Work 33 (November/December 1988): 531-535.

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