For decades, parents who adopted children from foreign countries were advised to raise their children as though they were "any other American kid." Subsequent research has shown that foreign children loose a sense of who they are when they aren't taught about their international heritage. One of the responses to this is Heritage Camps, which teach adopted children about their foreign roots.

"I think most of the benefit of being there is simply being in a place where the majority of people you interact with are of your own race. [The children] see teen and adult Asians being themselves..."

A husband and wife who adopted a girl from China took her to a Chinese Heritage Camp where she learned some simple things like singing Happy Birthday in Chinese, and the story behind the Moon Festival. Older children participate in more complex activities. The activities and lessons are great ways to help an international adoptee understand who they are. Read more online.

Posted By: Lori S