Did you happen to catch tonight’s “Late Show with Jay Leno?” If you did, then you probably caught guest Chelsea Handler’s comments about Angelina Jolie and her adoptions, not to mention her [obnoxious] racist innuendo about Asians being bad drivers and Vietnamese being good at doing nails.

If you didn’t see it, I’ll summarize and give you my take, ‘cause that’s what I get paid to do. ;)

First, Chelsea criticized Angelina for “going overseas” to adopt when there are so many kids in American who need to be adopted. She asked what was wrong with the kids in America that so many felt they need to look for children elsewhere.

Second, she criticized Angelina for changing the name of her Vietnamese son, Pax. She said he’s probably wandering around the house going, “Pax? Who’s Pax?”

I’ll tackle the name change issue in another post, but for now I’ll address the notion that those of us who choose international adoption are being unpatriotic.

I’ll just say it. I HATE it when people are critical of the fact that we adopted our children from other countries. Here are just a few reasons:

1. It’s none of their business how we choose to add to our family.

2. We followed the inspiration we received from our Father in Heaven each time we adopted, and we’re not going to ignore that guidance just because someone else thinks they need to be involved in our family planning decisions.

3. I don’t believe that God thinks American children are necessarily more (or less) deserving of families. I believe He is “no respecter of persons” and that He loves all children equally.

4. Although we’ve never adopted out of a sense of altruism, it’s simple fact that most children available for adoption in other countries come from far more dire situations than those in the U.S. Decent foster care is a far better environment for a child than any orphanage could be. Foster children receive medical care, education, and access to special services, all with the goal of reunification with the family of origin (if possible) or adoption as a second option. I realize that the ideal doesn’t always play out, but more American foster children have far greater care and resources available to them than children in orphanages in developing nations.

5. My experience working with the Department of Child and Family Services in my state has shown me that adopting through foster care is not necessarily a safe way to go. Information is very often withheld from foster/adopt families, probably because the Department feels the child will be easier to place, but the ends do not justify the means. I’ve seen tragic things happen because the families weren’t warned about what to expect and how to protect children already in their home. I’ve seen families apply to be foster/adopt parents, only to have paperwork languish on desktops and calls go unreturned. I’ve seen families be told they’re unsuitable, most often because they are larger to begin with, even though these families have the experience and expertise that can help kids from backgrounds of trauma succeed.

Thank goodness I don’t need Ms. Handler’s approval to do what’s best for my family.

Further Reading:

When Poop is Just Poop

International Adoption Forum