International adoption is the act of being from one country; generally the Global North e.g Canada and America, and adopting a child from a country in the Global South e.g Africa and Haiti.
International adoption is a rather controversial topic because some people believe the children have a right to stay and grow up in their communities, with their families while others believe it’s more beneficial for the child to be adopted into a more affluent family who can provide a life the prior family wouldn’t be able to.
Below are some famous celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Madonna who are all known for their work in movies and music as well as international adoption.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 20: Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Inglourious Basterds Premiere held at the Palais Des Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 20th, 2009 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Pitt;Angelina Jolie
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 20: Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Inglourious Basterds Premiere held at the Palais Des Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival on May 20th, 2009 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Pitt;Angelina Jolie
In my opinion I believe international adoption to be a positive and overall benefical thing for both children and families.
I believe if we have people looking for children and have met or surpassed the adoption. qualification then why should we be depriving them of a child? People spend years on wait list looking for a child born in the Global North, if we abolish international adoption some people will never get the opporuntity to have a child because the wait time will exceed their wanting to have children.
Next, I believe if we have the option to bring children to a better life in the Global North and provide them with better education and health care then we should. Majoirty of the children who are trying to get adopted are orphans, through international adoption these children get another chance at parents and possibly siblings. Living as a child orphan is not a life for a child to live. No child should have to try and provide for themselves knowing that if they don’t no one else will and it could be a matter of life and death as well as the difference of them not eating that night or them sleeping on the streets.
Childrens childhood in developing countries often look different than children’s in developed countries because where most children in Canada in the USA attend school during the day children in countries such as Africa and Haiti for example are forced to work to help support their families for reason such as an ill family member, a deceased familiy member, being an orphan, and even with the parents working they do not make enough money to put food on the table. This is hand forces children to not attend school to help support their families by working, usually in unideal, unsafe workplaces where labour laws are not enforced child labour laws often violoted.
With international adoptional, children mainly get placed in the Global North where there are much stricter child labour laws as well as health and safety. Children are therefore given the opportunity to have a childhood and go to school instead of work. This overall betters our world because the more educated our world is the better. This in correlation would produce more doctors, lawyers and surgeons and potentially the next. Albert Einstein or Martin Luther King Jr.
Overall, the idea of international adoption is still a very controversial idea, some believe that children have the right to stay and grow up with their families and in their communities while others argue it to be beneficial for a child to be adopted into a better life, to a family who can provide more. Overall I believe that children deserve the best possible life and I believe that is one where they are not living on the streets starving, working in factories to support their families, but instead outside playing tag at recess, receiving an education.
CHYS 2P38 Benefits to International Adoption 