My parents were immigrants to America. And now, my kids are too.

There's been a lot of talk recently over immigration laws. A lot of protests in the street over who should be allowed where and under what circumstances.

So, I thought it might be valuable to look over an important chunk of American history, written into law, about the kind of immigrant family mine has become. I'm always surprised when I run into adoptive parents who haven't heard of... more

I'm going to have to read this book, I think.

Not so sure about the "baby hotels" line, but the "ethno-racial history" thing is, as faithful readers may have guessed, always somewhere in my thoughts.

A new book by a University of Alberta researcher delves into one of the latest chapters in United States migration--the growing phenomenon of adopting Chinese children into American homes.

In "Transnational Adoption: A Cultural Economy of Race, Gender and Kinship," Dr. Sara Dorow examines the international adoption process while tackling such issues as the cult... more

Or not, as the case may be.

The Collective Unconscious offers me these morsels:

Ken, Ellen & Bei say they're already grieving because they're preparing to leave China next month. They're not grieving alone. Those photographs are memorable, and their situation is inspirational. One of my favorite English teachers. Prowling for leads for the day job nets me two... more

If you haven't read this blog post yet, you probably should. It's from Harlow's Monkey on renaming in international adoption. I can't remember how I found this - I think it was via Made in Korea - but it seemed to be everywhere. Anyway, the follow-up post (actually, a follow-up to a follow-up)... more

I know that the whole sleep disruption thing can lead to a lot of Ferberization "discussions" online.

Well, here's to discussions.

New Scientist has a new study that's sure to come up on both sides of 'em. Headline: Letting babies cry will only lead to more tears.

The study was led by an education expert from the University of London, looking at three... more

Man, I wish I was in China right now.

Not just because of the kids, or the hot pot, or any of that. But I really want to know how people reacted to Steven Chapman, China adoption evangelist, singing in Shanghai.

Speaking very generally, I'm not a huge fan of Chapman -- I really don't care for most "Christian contemporary" music (preferring to go for either the Pedro the Lion... more

Oh, please. Stop it. Stop reading this. Go read some of the other, more interesting things I've read recently. Like these!

The Violet Eclipse blog chronicles the adventures of a woman teaching Chinese middle schoolers English, which is something I think about doing.

Here's an excerpt from the most recent entry:

But Apple is probably the bane of my Chinese existance. Her hobbies are climbing on the desks, howling and taking her clothes off. I've asked to have her removed from... more

So, after spending a while checking the links at the China Adoption News blog (covering everything from "Welcome home, Emma!" local news fluff to grim exposés of China's "cancer villages"), I get a little bored and turn to things that interest me more.

Like the adoptee blog Made in Korea, the author of which has got a great knack for being funny and uneasy-making at the same time.... more

Sorry, that's a totally misleading headline for this entry. It's really just a quick note on a recent study, which shows that:

Racial Diversity Improves Group Decision Making In Unexpected Ways, According To Tufts University Research

New research from Tufts University indicates that diverse groups perform better than homogenous groups when it comes to decision making and that this is due largely to dramatic differences in the way whites behave in diverse groups--changes... more

OK, by the time the machine elves have carried this post forward to your eyes, oh gentle reader, this humble typist and My Languorous Spouse should be ensconced aboard a truly impressive ship heading through the Three Gorges, past Yunyang (hometown of our son((son!))) and Fuling (hometown of Daughter), en route to the wharves of downtown Chongqing.

Fuling's famous in China for its pickles, and famous in America for being the setting of Peter Hessler's marvelous memoir River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. Hessler came to China... more