I thought it was admirable that people would because

the Caucasian community” (Pilot Study).
“ I thought it was admirable that people would because of the stigma” (P1).
“Socially, they pick up a stigma that the parent’s going to have to deal with” (P1).
“I have known White couples that have. It has been really different for them, eye
opening and life changing…It is usually the parents that have the most to worry
about” (P1).
“I mean you are going to have, everybody is going to be, you know,
critiquing!...you may lose some friends. I am sure” (P2)!
“…you gonna, kind of accommodate yourself for the child” (P2).
“You took on this role so you really have to be strong. You can’t be the one to
break apart. You have to stand your ground and be firm. That is what, I took this
on, I should be able to deal with whatever comes my way” (P2).
“I do think that Caucasians adopting African-American children have an extra- I
don’t know if it is burden or responsibility” (P5).
“The part of the country that we live in [ Tennessee ] knowing the second looks that
White families get, because I’ve seen it, I’ve heard about it. The comments that
they get. I think it is, It is a huge sacrifice and a huge undertaking. They wouldn’t
say it that way, the families that I know would not say it that way” (P5).
“and you know, and just other comments that I’ve heard some of my White
friends who’ve adopted Black kids, comments that they’ve received from people”
(P5).
“…and my friend who’s White, who has adopted Black boys, he got very upset.
And he said, ‘before he adopted his boys, he would have heard it, and in his mind
he would have known it was wrong, but because he has his boys now…It moved
from his head to his heart’” (P5).
“I really couldn’t tell you what prompts them to adopt Black kids, cause honestly
with the stereotypes flying around, I don’t understand, I don’t understand” (P9).
“You think about it…most typical Caucasian families to this day and age right
now, usually have one or two people in their family that are still holding on to that
Fifties stuff… So those people are, they’re all about ‘don’t get this child, don’t do
that, don’t do this, you know they don’t do that, you know they do this’” (P9).

221
Quotes supporting previously found themes (continued)
Expected Themes
Found Based on
Previous Research Quotes Supporting These Existing Themes
Symbolic
Interactionism “It doesn’t matter whether they have been brought up in a predominantly White
world all their lives. It is perceived that they need to be friends with Black kids
because they are the same hue” (Pilot Study).
“How are they going to be able to explain that for the child to understand without
having to have had to live it to understand it? I think as African Americans we
have a different perspective about living in this country as opposed to White
people, and when you mingle the two either with interracial marriage or with
children, they children will have to deal with some things that, especially African
American, that maybe the parents wouldn’t understand” (P1).
“Somebody is going to tell them they are different, and once they know they are
different, then how to work on some of the stigmas that being African American”
(P1).