Tag: parenting

Trump’s Evangelical Supporters and Foreign Adoption

I frequently come across white evangelical Christians who are ardent proponents of international adoption and also strong Trump supporters. And the data seems to back up this personal experience: nearly 80 percent of evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump for President and numbers show that large segments of the evangelical Christian population support foreign adoption.… Continue reading Trump’s Evangelical Supporters and Foreign Adoption

I Renounced my Indian Citizenship to Get a Visa

We are spending Christmas in India this year. It’s time for Sonali to meet Sasmita’s family. But visiting India requires a visa. I’ve received multiple Indian visas in the last 10 years. The process requires many documents but is straightforward. I thought it would be simple this time as well. I could not have been… Continue reading I Renounced my Indian Citizenship to Get a Visa

I saw the adoption epic Lion. I was underwhelmed.

I put off watching Lion for months now, afraid it would be too emotional for me. I’d built it up, heard so many other adoptees and non-adopted folks gush about it, say how gut wrenching it was and how I ‘had’ to see it. Purposely, I stayed away from all reviews of it and only… Continue reading I saw the adoption epic Lion. I was underwhelmed.

Joy and Isolation: My Experience as a Stay-at-Home Dad – Part II

Thanks to all who commented, shared and gave feedback on Part I. I did not realize that many stay-at-home moms felt similarly. I appreciated hearing your experiences and I’m grateful for your support as a stay-at-home dad and writer. Playgrounds are alienating. Sonali loves them. I find them intimidating and uncomfortable. I’ve entered a women’s domain… Continue reading Joy and Isolation: My Experience as a Stay-at-Home Dad – Part II

Joy and Isolation: My Experience as a Stay-at-Home Dad – Part I

I recently began the hardest and most rewarding job of my life, being a stay-at-home dad. I lost my job in March 2016 and after a year-long job search that yielded little fruit, I now watch Sonali 50 hours a week. It’s difficult. Spending all day with an 11-month old that can’t talk, walk and… Continue reading Joy and Isolation: My Experience as a Stay-at-Home Dad – Part I

Adoptees Grow Up, Stop Treating Us Like Perpetual Children!

I’ve become more aware of the infantilization of adult adoptees, due to my work with the Adoptee Rights Campaign to give adoptees US Citizenship. The Adoptee Citizenship Act fills a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act of 2001, which gave all international adoptees US citizenship age 18 and younger. A common question I receive is… Continue reading Adoptees Grow Up, Stop Treating Us Like Perpetual Children!

I Took a Privilege Walk. Here’s what I Thought.

In early February of 2017, I participated in a ‘Privilege Walk.’ It’s an exercise examining an individual’s levels of privilege or disadvantage. I had finished speaking on an adoption panel and Sue Orban, the panel moderator asked all of us to participate. Each question requires the person to step forward or backward depending on their… Continue reading I Took a Privilege Walk. Here’s what I Thought.

A Few Welcome Changes to International Adoption Rules

In the fall of 2016, the US Department of State presented new rules regarding inter-country adoptions for those adopting foreign-born children into U.S. homes. As an adoptee, I always advocate for greater transparency about fees and the months-long process for international adoption. Not surprisingly, adoption agencies and other stakeholders in the adoption industry decry the… Continue reading A Few Welcome Changes to International Adoption Rules

We don’t know if we’re having a boy or girl. In India it’s illegal to find out.

Sasmita and I decided against learning the sex of our coming baby. We do not want to cloud the joyous event, by placing expectations or hopes of a specific gender. But there’s another reason; Sasmita is uncomfortable discovering a baby’s sex because in India it’s illegal. Prenatal sex determination testing is against Indian law. Indian society… Continue reading We don’t know if we’re having a boy or girl. In India it’s illegal to find out.

Babies and Language; a Personal Story

Recently my mother and I had a conversation about infant children and language. She was excited to see that her youngest grandson, barely one-year-old, recognized her voice. She recently returned from a trip to visit my brother’s family in Denver, Colorado and was ‘Skyping’ with them. It was remarkable to her, she said, how much his… Continue reading Babies and Language; a Personal Story

Facing Fatherhood as an Adoptee

Sasmita and I will be parents in early June of 2016! We are excited, but not ready to be parents. Then again, who is? We told my parents during Thanksgiving and called her folks in India, via Skype shortly afterwards, sharing our happy news across the globe. As I contemplate Fatherhood, thoughts of my own… Continue reading Facing Fatherhood as an Adoptee