[aclee]

I haven't read all the posts here...we do everything we can to be in diverse area. We've always done that...I think it's healthy for any child. My nieces had AA dolls long before DH and I said boo about adopting an AA child. That being said, I have two cousins who are Korean. Their parents bent over backward, around and every which way to immerse them in their culture. Celebrated the holidays, wore a lot of the traditional clothing...many family members learned some Korean. They had many Korean and Asian friends.

My two cousins are grown. They say they hated it all. In essence it never let them just be a family. They say they just wanted to grow up and be who they were and hang out with whoever they wanted to...that they know they are Korean, but that doesn't define the only thing about them that matters.

I don't think you can ignore race while raising a child transracially. I don't think they should be raised in isolation, but I think you can teach them to be proud of who they are, even if they are more unique than others around them.

JMO

edit to add: We took Ty to an African Drumming Expo, and he loved it...He's very rythmic even banging on his own toys. When we told family about it, they both groaned and said..."You're doing "it" to him...you're gonna make him weird!" & "Do you think his birth family would have taken him African Drumming?" The answer is no. I asked and M laughed at me. M and R have three children. Their two older children are in school and their best friends are CC.