Adopting a Vietnamese child

The force of globalization, aided by advances in transportation and communication, has brought people together, not just as friends but also put them under the same roof. Such is the case of international adoption. The number of Vietnamese children being adopted to foreign parents have rocketed over the years and many more interested families are coming to Vietnam every year to seek a new family member.
Photo: yapchimattran.vn

Most international adoptions contain two steps: adoption and immigration. You will need to observe the adoption laws of both the country where you are from and the country where your future child was born in. Adoption law from selected countries:

• What are your ideas about racial issues?Now that you ask "Am I ready to adopt a Vietnamese baby"? Here are things to consider:
• What are the first images that come to your mind when thinking about Vietnamese?
• How are you going to raise your child- to tell him/her to treasure his Vietnamese traits and heritages or to help him/her blend in well in the new culture?
• Imagine you take him/her to school or an amusement park. How will you comfort him/her of public embarrassment?
• If you have other children in the family, will there be any differences in the way you treat each of them?
• Have you thought about what it is like to be a non-white growing up in a white culture?
• How will you correct the left-out feeling of your child?
• On the way of adopting and raising your adopted child, you will feel tired, frustrated, confused and disappointed. What will you do to motivate your self and your family to continue fostering the relationship in those situations?

Adopting a child can be more of a challenge than a reward. It is a tremendously long process that requires much effort, from the travelling period and waiting time to the stressful moments of dealing with interracial issues. On the other hand, seeing your child smile and say “I love you, mama” is an experience that is worth it all. It cannot be said that Vietnamese children are more intimate than others, simply because there should neither be stereotypes nor presumptions based on biological characteristics. Your child will more likely grow up in the way that is shaped by their upbringing environment.