Beginning in the late 1970s, there was a rise in psychological adjustment studies comparing transracial adoptees to ethnic non-adoptees. The first wave of studies revealed no significant differences in general adjustment but did show that transracial adoptees were more likely to have weaker ethnic identity than non-adoptees [5]. Although weak ethnic identity does not directly correlate with lower well-being, it is identity confusion that can cause psychological distress. Both transracial adoptees and non-White non-adoptees experience discrimination simply because of their marginalized status but what distinguishes transracial adoptees from non-White non-adoptees is the fact that they are more likely to partially assimilate into the dominant (White) culture.

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Studies of transracial adoption in the 1990s were fraught with conceptual and methodological limitations including, but not limited to, small sample sizes, lack of or inadequate comparison groups, longitudinal studies biased by the loss of participants over time, or issues related to data validity. For instance, studies of children in early or middle childhood were based on reports of behavior and feelings from parents and teachers rather than the individuals themselves [6]. Other studies based on tracking transracial adoptees over the life-course ran into problems with sample attrition when only a portion of the participants remained by the final study period [6]. Another limitation during this era was the sociopolitical climate of the time. Nowadays, we more openly speak about racism, discrimination, and culture so people likely feel more comfortable voicing opinions on the subject.

 

Could our current sociopolitical climate have an effect on how we feel about our own cultural identities?