CNN on Chinese adoption

[Tigeresse]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...05/pzn.01.html

This was brought to my attention on a list I'm on. The portion I read is truly outrageous, very demeaning of those of us who have chosen to adopt from China. Anyone so inclined please let CNN and Paula Zahn know just how ignorant this interview is:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?11

Thanks!

Katie

[Monie]

I read the trascript, too, and am glad that I missed the show! It sounds like it was very insulting all around. The bad thing is that people will believe what they heard, because it's a "news" show.

[Diane B]

The Guatemalan adoption community just went through this sort of thing with a big article in the NY Times a couple of months ago. It's very disheartening, because you know that this is where people get their information and they don't have an opportunity to really understand the complexities of the situation. The NY Times article was especially grating because they didn't bother to talk with adoptive parents and was very biased against international adoption.

[bri276]

what on earth were they blabbering about and where did they get this information? it sounds a lot to me like the stereotypes they were spouting were their OWN. :

[blessed]

What parts did you find offensive?

I thought it was crass and that whomever these commentators were, they were almost pubescent in their thinking and perspectives. It was fatuous and devoid of any meaningful discussion. But I didn't see anything offensive.

I'm pretty infatuated with Chinese girls - one in particular . What's wrong with that?

[vermonttaylors]

I sent an e-mail. That piece was so full of error it was painful. Good God!: A little, or ANY, research would have been a nice touch!

[bri276]

MALDONADO: Well the idea about Hispanic kids, it's sort of mixed. I think the stereotypes about Hispanic kids are both positive and negative. They believe that Hispanic kids are likely to work harder than black kids, but they also believe that they're not going to be as intelligent as Asian kids.

ZAHN: Muslim kids.

UYGUR: They're going to grow up to be violent.

Who is adopting a Muslim kid? Has anyone adopted a Muslim kid in the last 20 years in America?
MARTIN: You've got somebody sitting there saying, keep the Muslim kid out of chemistry class. Keep them away.

ZAHN: How about black kids?

Do you think the average American out there makes the assumption they'll be lazy and never make it through high school?

MARTIN: I think they probably assume they're going to sing for them like Jay Z and play like in the NBC.

ZAHN: Anybody would love to have Jay Z's career.

MARTIN: I'd rather have Bob Johnson's. He's a billionaire and Jay Z isn't.

I bolded the parts most offensive to me althought the whole thing is. First of all, what's a "Muslim kid"? I have never heard of Muslim being considered an ethnic group (the way Jewish is). You could say Sunni or Shiite kid, or even Iraqi, but it's pretty inaccurate to say Muslim IMO. And that they'll grow up to be violent? That seems like a stretch, to say that the reason people aren't adopting "Muslims" (I suppose they mean Middle Easterners) is because they stereotype them as violent....

as far as the black child growing up to be an "NBC" (I think they mean NBA) player, that seemed to be more of a racial joke or slur than a serious conversation piece.

[mamaley]

omg, you're serious? they said this?

[blessed]

Oh, I was looking for stuff pointedly offensive to adoptive parents of Chinese. These morons are equal opportunity offenders.

It reads like one of those morning 'shock jock' radio shows on FM. These guys sound like idiots.

Who were these people? Were these invited guest commentators? They obviously know absolutely nothing, zilch, zip, nada about the adoptive community, Chinese adoption, or anything else as far as I can tell.

ETA: I sent an email too.

[AllyRae]

Wow...they really tore into quite a few ethnic groups... I'm kind of sad that Paula Zahn sunk so low--that's not journalism in the least.

[Tigeresse]

MARTIN: OK, why? What's the big deal with Chinese children?
Enlighten me, please, help me out.

ZAHN: You understand this better than anybody. Why don't we see more
Americans adopting black foster children?

MARTIN: That's my point. What's the big deal with Chinese children?
Why the infatuation?

ZAHN: You think it's something with the color of their skin? Is that
what you're driving at?

MARTIN: Maybe they think they can adopt a smart kid that is going to
grow up to be a doctor? I don't know. They need to realize that's
called training, not just inherent, it will happen when they're born.

MALDONADO: Absolutely. This is something I've been looking into for
a long time. Americans have this love affair with girls from China.
There is this belief, this perception, irrational as it might be
that if you adopt a little girl from China, she's going to be
intelligent, she's going to be more lovable.

MARTIN: Like the porcelain doll.

MALDONADO: We definitely see that idea of the beautiful Chinese
little girl, as compared to do, they really want to adopt a black
boy.

These are some of the things I felt were offensive to parents of Chinese adoptees. We have irrational perceptions. Our decisions to adopt from China have nothing to do with vast amounts of research, soul searching, and weighing of options. We are just after lovable, intelligent, porcelain dolls.

[vermonttaylors]

They showed their own ignorance to such an extent I actually laughed out loud. They said nobody is adopting Muslims. Well first of all, not true. Many of the kids coming out of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Russia, African countries and some of the other Eastern European countries are Muslim. I think in their minds they were equating "Muslim" with Middle Eastern, which shows THEIR predjudice, not adoptive parents. AND the REAL reason families aren't adopting from the middle East is WE AREN"T ALLOWED TO!!!!! Not the petty small minded, racist reason they were saying. Families adopt from the countries they are allowed to adopt from. Period. Regardless of religion. If a country has an international adoption program, you will find american families adopting from there.

As for China. OY!!!!: What a bunch of bone-heads. Passing off their ill-considered opinions as fact. China dolls indeed!!!! Please! There are many, many reasons people adopt from China, but that isn't one of them. I listed some of the real reasons in my e-mail (streamlined program, guaranteed girl, relatively inexpensive, 1 short trip, etc. etc.) and they are all valid and good reasons for making a very personal choice!

The more I think about that piece the more it bothers me because of the IGNORANCE passed off as fact.: I just thought of some more things I'd like to write to them, but I have a life caring for my asian baby doll and my probably muslim son.

[aja-belly]

since we are completing a domestic adoption we get all kinds of rude and crazy comments about international vs domestic adoption. anything from - 'good for you for giving an american baby a home' to 'didn't you want a little chinese baby? they are so trendy now' :

international adoption is so allover the news recently that it was only a matter of time before there started being some sensational journalism against it. i predict there will be stuff bigger than that story in the next couple of years that is down on international adoption.

[PrettyBird]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

Wow...they really tore into quite a few ethnic groups... I'm kind of sad that Paula Zahn sunk so low--that's not journalism in the least.

I did not see this particular episode, but I have seen this segment she does regularly, claiming to "bring racism out into the open". Something like that could be really valuable if it were not for her sensationalist journalism. She constantly puts words in people's mouths and brings on people like this in the article. Unfortunately pieces like this are what most Americans use to formulate their opinions on such topics.

[EFmom]

Holy cow, I'm speechless.

[dharmamama]

My friend who is adopting from China forwarded this to me because they also talked about African kids. My feeling is pretty much 1) I am glad someone is at least talking openly about these stereotypes 2) The way they talked about them was not helpful or informative, it was middle-schoolish.

Namaste!

[w8ing4myDD]

Thanks for posting this, Tigeresse! I'm going to write to CNN too, as soon as I calm down! It seems like they are just perpetuating stereotypes and calling it news. Why not talk to parents and learn about the REAL reasons people adopt, internationally or domestic? As a waiting family, I was soo offended! Actually, I would be offended even if we weren't adopting! We are adopting from CHina, but NOT because we want a porcelain doll!

[Tigeresse]

Update:

Paula Zahn adn CNN has decided to run a new panel on China
adoption "to redress the issue" that last week's broadcast created.
(Paula Zahn Now AIRS: 8-9 p.m. ET on CNN)

I have heard that they have invited new speakers, including someone
from the Great Wall Adoption Agency, the president of the Organization
of Chinese Americans, a Chinese journalist, and someone from FCC or another adoptive families organization.

This paraphrased information came from our orphanage's yahoo group, and I believe was forwarded from FCC NY. We have made our voices heard!! Thanks to everyone! This will be one of the very few times I ever watch this show, I'm sure.

Katie

[w8ing4myDD]

Yay! Good job! If you happen to hear when it will air, please let us know!

[vermonttaylors]

TONIGHT is when she is re-airing it!!! I just got an e-mail from CNN thanking me for my letter and hoping I'll tune in. It listed the people she has invited.

Yay for getting our voices heard!!!! I can only imagine the furor within the Chinese-adoptive community (which I'm not a part of, but was offended for.) She probably didn't know what hit her. I'll bet the hate mail was mountainous!: