I found this old, rather interesting postcard picture the other day, and initially I thought it had something to do with adoption. The picture, from 1913, is in fact a political satire about the current, moral issues of the time. The “Col. Roastwell” refers to President Theodore Roosevelt, and the artwork speaks to his favoring of immigration and large families. Some also attribute the comical drawing to the very real issues of oppression and human rights, in relation to immigrants, former slaves, and women. Obviously people also did not like immigration or multi race families at that time, as much as some still do not today. I am thinking some folks today would also say adoption falls into the same category of oppression, so I suppose they might find it appropriate that I would notice the card with adoption in mind.

Really I just saw a multicultural mommy, no “oppression” involved. I liked the image of the big eyed girl with her various sweet faced infants around her. She seems so gloriously oblivious to the negatives that others might construe from her very different family. I often tend to be that way myself. I don’t really think about what other people might be feeling about my choices for adoption and a transracial, multicultural family, that is until they slap me in the face with their ideals. I have found that people, more people than I care to think about, really don’t like it.

I know others have experienced similar issues, I believe dear Holly at the African blogs might be leaving us here because people saw her family through her online connection, and then decided to harass them because of it’s rainbow make up. I sometimes worry about that myself, and it’s sad because no one should ever have to worry about anything like that, especially not loving families or their innocent children

Honestly I think those of us who are creating our families through adoption and multiculturalism are changing the face of our world in countless positive ways. We are taking some of the fear out of some minds (those who will open theirs up a bit) concerning the things that make us different, and how many things also actually connect us in this world. I know I have learned so much from my son and both of his birthparents, things I could only fully consider by the experience of loving them all. It is even more exciting to see how our extended family have been able to step back and evaluate their own views, because they really never had to before. I see rainbow families as a positive thing. I guess Theodore Roosevelt and I have something in common.