In Praise of Adoption

A mother holds her adopted child arriving from Haiti

There are 1.5 million adopted children in the United States and 58 percent of Americans know someone who has been adopted, has adopted a child, or has relinquished a child for adoption. Scott Simon, host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition” joins Larry Mantle to tell the story of how he and his wife Caroline found true love with two tiny strangers from China. Adopting daughters from China led Scott to decry the country’s one-child policy as a human rights crime against women. How are inter-racial and international adoptions transforming American families and why are these types of adoption, which account for less than 10 percent of adoptions, getting so much attention in the press?

There are 1.5 million adopted children in the United States and 58 percent of Americans know someone who has been adopted, has adopted a child, or has relinquished a child for adoption. Scott Simon, host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition” joins Larry Mantle to tell the story of how he and his wife Caroline found true love with two tiny strangers from China. Adopting daughters from China led Scott to decry the country’s one-child policy as a human rights crime against women. How are inter-racial and international adoptions transforming American families and why are these types of adoption, which account for less than 10 percent of adoptions, getting so much attention in the press?

Guest:

Scott Simon, author of Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption and host of NPR’s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon which airs Saturdays from 5 to 10 am on KPCC.