An article from the Boston Globe and Mail called "CULTURAL IDENTITY: LOST IN TRANSLATION
Unearthing the roots of adoption" takes a look at internationally adopted kids of color adopted into American families and how some, now adults, feel about their lives, and how awareness may be helping future adoptees.

Although there are complaints about the present climate of trendiness in international adoption tied to some highly publicized celebrity adoptions mentioned, this report does point out the historical precedent, citing Josephine Baker's international adoption of a dozen children ... her "World Village", as she called it ... and Mia Farrow, proving that there really is nothing new under the sun, just new headlines for the same old stuff.

With many adult adoptees desiring more connection with their birth culture and country than they had growing up, homeland visits are becoming more common, and companies ... including adoptive parent groups, adoptee organizations and adoption agencies ... are putting together tour packages that offer everything from guides to matching with local families for a full cultural experience.

Reunions between birth parents and adoptees may also be part of the dream for some, and although international adoption searches often come up empty, reunions can and do happen.

Culture and heritage camps now offer a a dip into the culture pool for families with some roots in faraway soil, and there are many who rave about the experiences, the connections and the validation that comes with attendance.

Of course, some kids resist heavy emphasis on birth country ties, and prefer to focus more on what's same versus what's different. Without a "How to properly raise every internationally adopted kid so that they're not negatively impacted by any factor of anything parents have control over Handbook" we're all on our own figuring out what's best.

This is probably as good a time as any to mention that my family's planned homeland visit to Cambodia has been postponed. Yes, we are totally bummed out about the change in plans, but practical realities ... in this case having to do with finances, the sudden and unexpected requirement of a new truck for Mark and an overly impressive outbreak of hemorrhagic Dengue Fever in the country ... has forced us to put that trip off until next year.

We will, however, be taking a much shorter holiday to Mauritius which we're looking forward even though it will not be anything like the meaningful journey we'd imagined. It may, however, be more restful, and I could really use a nice long nap about now.