International Adoption as a Disguise for Trafficking? And More Bad News
Finally. FINALLY. The finale of the first (and hopefully last) three-parter. Olivia finishes up her series on adoption and fostering with an entire two-and-a-half-hour episode on international adoption. Strap in and prepare for an episode that literally kept Olivia up at night.
International adoption in the US developed in tandem with the American military state. In the wake of WWII and the Korean War, thousands of children were orphaned across Europe and Asia. American families stepped up to adopt the orphans in droves between 1948 and 1953. The trend of international adoption further increased in popularity as the Vietnam War started crumbling. In April 1975, the Viet Cong started encroaching upon Southern Vietnam and, notably, Saigon. Parents heard rumors that their children would be captured, tortured, or even killed if North Vietnam won the war.
This was especially true for mixed-race children, called Amerasians, who American servicemen often fathered. Orphanages offered an opportunity for parents where they could temporarily drop off their children to be cared for by volunteers – providing food, housing, and education. However, unbeknownst to the Vietnamese parents, the orphanages organized with the US to send the children to be adopted. In 1975, President Gerald Ford allocated two million dollars to fund Operation Babylift, a misguided attempt to rescue the orphans.
The first flight on April 4, 1975 out took a crash landing, ending the lives of 78 orphans and 94 escorts. Despite the initial failure, Operation Babylift successfully transported over two thousand orphans while ongoing. The first successful flight arrived to fanfare and paparazzi. Celebrities inserted themselves into the program to adopt and get photos captured of them holding the babies. However, questions were being raised about the ethics of this operation. Volunteers were surprised to hear from the children that they had family waiting for them in Vietnam, for their parents had given them to the orphanage under the impression that it was a temporary housing situation. Upon arriving to retrieve their child, they were shocked to find that not only were they not there, but their parental rights had been terminated. This transitions us into our discussion about American humanitarianism and adopting abroad.
International adoption in the US started growing in popularity, in part because interracial adoption was being heavily criticized by organizations such as the National Association of Black Social Workers. As transracial adoptions fell by 39% in 1975 alone, prospective families sought a more accessible and affordable option to welcome a child into their home. And the solution fell in their lap.
In 1970, just under 2,500 children were being adopted internationally, which increased to over 10,000 in 1987. The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) stepped up to sign a treaty titled the Hague Convention on International adoption in 1993. This treaty delineated expectations for Hague countries regarding the rights of internationally adopted children, namely affirming the legitimacy of them being orphans, ensuring the parents consented to the process and preventing improper financial gain. Great in theory, but how’d that work out in practice?
Olivia proceeds to unpack what she describes as the most selfish, entitled resource she encountered during her research. In an article aptly titled, “Easiest Countries to Adopt From 2022,” the writer lists 19 possible countries that would appeal to prospective parents. Of the 19 listed, 12 signed the Hague treaty on international adoption – but even a few that signed seem morally dubious at best. In the remainder of the episode, Olivia talks about how international adoptees are bought and sold (through Yahoo and Facebook groups) like cattle. Desperate parents contribute to a highly exploitative child trafficking ring worth millions. Interested in learning how adoption agencies leverage poverty to meet supply and demand? Listen to this week's episode to have your entire perception of international and interracial adoption challenged.