Not another rant. I have decided to put myself up for adoption because it is fashionable to adopt African kids and perhaps, I may attract the attention of a cute American celebrity like Jennifer Aniston or Kirsten Dunst (if they have not already adopted one) or perhaps ... Oprah! Well, I would have to be illiterate (so I wouldn't be typing this), young (I wouldn't be typing this), severely disadvantaged (I wouldn't have the resources to type this) ... you get the drift.

Recent news reports have focused on the woes surrounding Madonna's adoption of a Malawian child. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the premise of adoption - I mean, a child ends up getting the care that s/he may never have got if left alone, in mean streets or in foster homes (in some cases). The media seems to have blown the issue out of proportion because of the celebrity nature of the adopter, and the successful adoption by the mega-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

All this aside, I recently began thinking about how it may feel like when mom, dad and child do not look alike. I once observed a white lady in her 50s holding the hand of a young black child of about 7 years, and occasionally admonishing her. I couldn't take my eyes off them. The people around me quietly observed the sight that unfolded before them, and moved on. This scene became embedded in my mind. I soon began to realize how difficult it may be to exist socially in such a setting. I began to think about what went on in that child's mind as she went through her life with a parent who was 'different' from her. Wouldn't there be a time when she would ask her 'mother' the fateful question: "why is your skin different from mine?" And how should the mom reply. And as the child grows, would she not have to deal with friends' and strangers' piercing piercing stares, and blank inquiries, concerning her mother. The greatest challenge for the kid would definitely be accepting her role as an adopted child (of black descent) of a white mother. With the proper training, guidance and support, the child should be able to deal with these questions especially in her formative years.

However, as a white mother who adopts a black (or African) child, I am not sure how much effort she may put in preserving the child's cultural heritage. There's nothing wrong with growing up in a white family with their ideals and cultures. And for the sake of objectivity, it would be wise to note that both white and black families do share a lot of attitudes, culture, etc. So would it be ethically wrong for the white mother to raise the child in the way she knows best (the way she raises her own children) and neglect the manner in which the child's biological mother would raise her? For instance, if the biological parents were Christian, must the child be raised under this religion even if the 'new' parents profess a different faith?? And would a black family that's adopting a white child have to make special considerations to the child based on her race?

But at this day and age, maybe the way we think about ethnicity and racial differences has changed, at least in some parts of the world. With fusing global cultures there is perhaps less concern about, and more tolerance for, differences.

Then again, you could think about the issue of trans-racial adoption in economic terms - supply and demand. There are more white families out there willing to adopt. In the same vein, there are more black children available for adoption; and few black families willing to adopt black children.

I'm up for a society where race is not a limiting factor in any scenario.