There has been a lot of media attention in the past week regarding the Roma people. Most of this media attentioon is centering around a situation in Greece where a fair-complected child was removed from the care of a Roma couple who following DNA testing were determined not to be her biological parents. I am not going to comment on this situation.
What I would like to draw people’s attention to is the surronding attention (and stereotypes) of the Roma people in general.
The Roma population in general meets with various levels of stereotypes, segregation, and discrimination throughout Europe. Please read further in the links below for further details
CNN: Opinion Column on Roma discrimination in Europe
CNN: Photoblog: Plight of the Roma
Although no one can say for sure at this time, a majority of children adopted internationally from orphanages in Bulgaria are Roma, so it follows there is a strong likelihood that my children will be Roma.
My children would not face the same discrimination challenges in my community. In fact, in bringing these series of stories to light to coworkers, many simply could not fathom disrimination against the Roma, even after seeing photos. Call us a naive corner of the world, but it is something that we simply don’t run across in our work-community.
The report of the children in Ireland being subjected to DNA testing due to perceived racial differences strikes our family very close to home. My mother is Native American Indian. She has the classic darker skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. My sister possessed these physical attributes as well. I, on the other hand, am subject to a fairly common genetic quirk amongst members of our tribe. I have impossibly fair skin, grey-blue eyes, and dark blonde/light brown hair. In summary: I look NOTHING like my mother. My BIOLOGICAL mother. My (aforementioned darker) sister married an equally dark-complected man. My nephew (see posts in June 2013 for his pics) is also subject to the fair-skinned genetic quirk. I cannot fathom how upset I would be if any member of my family had to prove that we were biologically related just because we didn’t look alike.
Or biologically related at all! After all, as my mother (an adoptee herself) can tell you…biology is NOT what makes you a family. And (obviously) as I persue adoption I can tell you that having children biologically related to me doesn’t matter (to me) AT ALL.
We cannot wait to accept a child of any racial or ethic background into this home.
Bulgaria to Maine Adoption 