Elizabeth Dawes Kim, MD
Transracial (TRA) and intercountry (ICA) adoption
became a common practice when Harry Holt heard about
the plight of orphaned Korean children due to the Korean
Conflict. He adopted eight children from Korea and later
founded Holt International Children’s Agency. Since then,
an explosion of TRA and ICA adoption has continued as
children from China, Guatemala, Russia, and South Korea
each year are adopted worldwide.
Much of the research is focused on young children and
their ability to form attachments to family and their peers.
Current research centers on identity formation, adoptees’
perception of family life, and how racism impacts their lives.
In particular, the research looks at how well the adoptive
parents help their children cope with racism, and how much
adoptees are able to build ties to their community of origin.
Very little research has been done to learn about the
prevalence of mental illness in this population....
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