Navigating Cultural Identity: A Transracial Adoptees Perspective

Written By: Grace Gonzales

The journey of adoption is a profound experience that shapes the lives of both parents and children. For transracial adoptees specifically, this journey comes with its unique set of challenges and blessings that can be extremely difficult to navigate while growing up.

As a transracial adoptee, one challenge I have faced throughout my life is understanding my cultural identity. In my experience, being in touch with my heritage is something that I didn't have the privilege of being raised up with and is a continuous learning journey to this day. I remember being a child during Hispanic Heritage Month, surrounded by peers who were in touch with their heritage and native tongue but would exclude my identity because I did not have a relatable experience to them. Even though I was aware of my Honduran and Salvadoran roots, I was left feeling as though I wasn't included in these celebrations, as I had never been exposed to my culture. For far too long, I was burdened by confusion of who I was or where I fit in, which is an extremely common experience for transracial adoptees.

This is a problem that should be addressed more heavily by the foster care system to prepare adoptive parents with proper knowledge of the importance of cultural awareness and how to navigate these sorts of challenges with their child. Unfortunately resources aren't as readily available as they should be and the lived experiences of individuals, like myself, tend to go unnoticed. In this blog post, we will explore the experience of learning, growing and ultimately, celebrating identity when getting in touch with your culture.

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Regardless of the community I was raised in or the exclusion I faced, I stayed determined to find myself connected to my culture in one way or another. This journey was one that I felt I had to initiate myself in my teenage years, but I was lucky enough to have a family that supported these goals. This has been an ongoing effort in my life for many years at this point, but with a journey like this it can be unclear where to start.

One of the best ways that I have found makes me feel connected to my culture is through the exploration of food. I began exploring in my middle school years through finding recipes online and visiting local Salvadoran restaurants in Los Angeles and San Francisco. These were the first times I ever tried Baleadas and Pupusas paired with fried plantains, which are Salvadoran staples.

I also was gifted a 23andMe kit to verify what I already knew as well as give me a deeper look into my own culture. As someone from the foster care system, my adoption was a closed case, leaving my adopted parents and myself no way to ask biological family about their origin story. What I knew about my genetics all came from medical records and summaries about my birth mother, that were accumulated throughout the foster care adoption process. I knew I had one parent that was from Honduras and the other from El Salvador and that they came to the states in their teenage years, had kids...and here I am. With my results, not only was I was able to verify the information I already knew about where my birth parents were from, but now I see the genetic influences that correlate to historic events such as colonization and migration patterns surrounding Honduras and El Salvador.

Music has also been a form of connection and community for me when exploring my culture. Music can be used to tell stories and share the lives of people connected to their culture which is a beautiful thing. For me personally, I find listening to the music and learning the dances of Honduras and El Salvador to be empowering as they resemble the histories of each country and are traditions that have been passed down through many generations.

Empowerment through Self-Discovery:

The journey of a transracial adoptee involves ongoing self-discovery. As I have grown older, I have seen how this exploration has lead to profound personal growth, self-awareness, and a sense of empowerment. By embracing my heritage, I feel like I am honoring a piece of myself from my birth culture that makes me who I am and how I show up in the world. For me, I feel a sense of pride when I find ways to connect to my heritage and share my knowledge with others! I hope to encourage others to use their experiences because perspective is important. As society continues to recognize and embrace diversity, the voices of transracial adoptees play a vital role in shaping a world that values every individual's unique story.