Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are to adopt a Vietnamese child
VietNamNet Bridge – “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” have sent documents to the Immigration and Naturalization Services for the adoption of a boy at Tam Binh Orphanage (HCM city) which the couple visited in November, 2006.
Angelina and Brad want to adopt a child at 3 or 4 years of age. There are many procedures the couple must go through before being able to take the child home. Contacting the American INS is just the first step.
Mr. Vu Duc Long, head of the Bureau of International Adopted Children (the Ministry of Justice), said that the famous Hollywood lovebirds had started the adoption process in the U.S and hadn’t contacted responsible authorities in Vietnam. And Mr. Nguyen Van Trung, director of Tam Binh Orphanage, said that he was waiting for any direction from the Ministry of Justice as well as HCM city Department of Justice.
Ms. Jolie used to say that she wanted to have a multi-racial family. She has a 5-year old Cambodian child named Maddox, and a 2-year old Ethiopian one called Zahara. And the 9-month old Shiloh has both the American and Namibian citizenships.
Don’t get me wrong. I think the humanitarian work she’s doing is great but why is it she feels the need to take home a souvenir?
There was recently a thread (I think at anti-racist parent) or maybe third mom) about whether a transracially adopted child should be the only one in his or her family. The overwhelming consensus was that it is better if they are not the only person of color. I would like to believe that Jolie is not looking for a souvenir but rather understands that if she was planning to grow her family through adoption again anyway, adding another Asian child makes sense as she has a Cambodian son. Yes — she adopts a lot. But I would be shaking my head if she was giving birth to her fourth child let alone adopting one as I have three kids and THAT IS A LOT. So, if she wants a big family — she has the money and, as she says, she is young.
DS-L
“The overwhelming consensus was that it is better if they are not the only person of color.”
DS-L, I can’t say I disagree with that. Having been “the only one”, I can attest to how lonely and confusing that can be. However, the phrase “person of color” can only be taken so far. Maddox already has a person of color in the family because of his sister Zahara. What bugs me about people pointing to this is it presumes that poc are somehow homogeneous which we are not. Even people of the same race are not interchangeable. Cambodia is not Vietnam so in a sense, Maddox and a Vietnamese child would still be “the only one”. A TRAs identity reaches further than their state of “non-whiteness”.
They’ve already made it clear that they intend to keep adopting. Brad Pitt has even joked publicly about “starting their own country” and Angelina made some comment about 10 children. My problem with this goes beyond race and identity. 10 kids? Yeah, she has money and is young but so what? Given her lifestyle and career, how is she going to manage?
Exactly, if she were giving birth to a fourth wouldn’t people be wondering if it weren’t too soon? On top of that, she recently lost her mother to cancer yet she’s already adopting again.
Anyway, I guess not much can be said just yet. First, her and Brad have to meet the requirements for adopting from Vietnam. Unless something has changed, I don’t think they quite meet all of them.
Cuz she’s a card-carrying a-hole, that’s why.
It’s hard not to view their motives as suspect but then I think maybe I am just too sensitive when it comes to the topic of adoption. Sometimes it seems there isn’t a right answer.
I was really blown away by the first comment and whole heartedly agree with your reply.
Sume — all true — just being hopeful, I guess, about her motives.
DS-L