Adoptees to access identifying information important

Kinship

This week I read "Adoption, Identity, and Kinship: the Debate Over Sealed Birth Records" by Dr. Katrina Wegar, published in 1997. Wegar is an Adult Adoptee born/adopted in Finland. Finland was one of the first countries to allow Adult Adoptees to access identifying information. Wegar's experience as an Adult Adoptee in a country that allows access as well as sociologist who does not see any of the problems in her home country that are alleged by U.S. anti-rights groups as inevitable to occur if American adoptees are allowed access, has urged her to examine the records debate in the U.S.

Her book gives a good overview of history, although there are certain points here and there where other sources I've read would disagree with when and why records were sealed. She provides a glimpse into feminist perspective as well as the perspective of Sociologists and Social Workers. She believes that both Adoptee Rights Activists and anti-rights groups present arguments that further stigmatize adoptees. If you read her book, you may notice that she refers to the Adoptee Rights Movement as "the search movement." It refers to search, in-general, as the search for one's origins. I believe that because so many anti-rights groups use the adoptee stereotype of "searching, finding, and disrupting" in their arguments against "Adoptee Rights" that the term "Adoptee Rights" is more preferable, to me.

Wegar writes on the importance of sharing one's own personal narrative:

"Autobiographical accounts have been instrumental in the mobilization of the search movement, and their human-interest potential and cultural resonance have attracted publicity in the media. By revealing the personal quandaries of adoptees who have been denied the opportunity to search for their biological origins, search activists have presented a picture of American adoption that stands in stark contrast to the positive image traditionally presented by adoption agencies and child welfare organizations. They have also described for the first time the institution of adoption from the viewpoint of the adopted (Wegar, 1997, p. 74).

This quote, for me, is similar in explaining why I write as the "why I write" quote is at the top, right-hand corner of my blog. Adult Adoptees speaking for themselves is very important and so is others lending a listening ear. When I talk Adoptee Rights with other people, I generally explain how records came to be sealed and then explain why it is a problem. It is hard for people who do not know much about adoption, other than stereotypes and usually in a positive sense, to grasp a concept of adoption where people are not happy. It is the adoptee experience to often be scolded for voicing something about adoption that sounds negative as if they're being "negative people." Au contrare, secrecy and inequalityare negative; period.

Photo credit: jscreationzs