Here are several useful books, published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and available from their web site, on topics related to international family law:
“Beyond Culture Camp”: Donaldson Institute Study
A story in yesterday’s New York Times discussed a new study by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute titled: ”Beyond Culture Camp: Promoting Healthy Identity Formation in Adoption” by Hollee McGinnis, Susan Livingston Smith, Dr. Scott D. Ryan and Dr. Jeanne A.
Adoption Issues Raised at Inter-American Human Rights Commission
On Friday, November 6, a hearing panel of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will hear a petition filed by the Child Advocacy Program at Havard Law School and the Center for Adoption Policy in New York, arguing that restrictions on intercountry adoption from countries such as Guatemala violate the human rights of unparented children. Here’s a press release about the hearing from the petitioners, and here is the
Adoption Notices: Kenya and Ethiopia
The State Department periodically issues notices to inform agencies and prospective adoptive parents about on-the-ground developments in particular countries.
Hague Adoption Convention reaches 81 members
With the recent ratifications or accessions of Greece, Cape Verde, and Togo, there will now be 81 contracting states for the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Here’s the announcement from the Hague Conference web site.
Multiracial Children in Postwar Germany
Here, from the English website of Der Spiegel, is an article that discusses the adoption of multiracial children born to German women in the years after World War II. The Difficult Identities of Postwar Black Children of GIs by Stephanie Siek tells the stories of a number of these children, now grown, and describes several organizations formed in recent years that have helped them to uncover their histories. A sidebar notes a book by a U.S.
Single Parenting in Korea
An interesting story in today’s New York Times by Choe Sang-Hun reports on the challenges faced by unmarried Korean women in who have decided to raise children as single parents. Of single women who give birth in South Korea, about 70 percent relinquish their children for adoption. The Times story is illustrated with a slide show.
Adoption Controversy in China
A disturbing story in the Los Angeles Times by Barbara Demick reports on cases in which family planning officials in China took children from families to place for foreign adoption. According to the piece, the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs has told foreign diplomats that they believe the abuses were limited to a small number of cases and those responsible have been punished.