An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures

Angela Tucker is a transracial adoptee. Her white adoptive parents were politically conscious, devoted to inclusivity and committed to using their privilege for good - yet the challenge of growing up Black in a white household and in a white community is still deeply problematic.

Tucker had everything she needed to fulfill the American Dream - a loving middle-class family, great education, and a plethora of opportunities, but she is not fully claimed by the Black community and holds a kind of honorary membership status within the white community. This situation prompted her to become a professional in the adoption world and to begin research in the field. Through history, statistics, and stories about transracial adoption, as well as her own experiences both as an adoptee and as someone who works in the adoption field, who mentors and counsels transracial adoptees looking for answers and support, Tucker will pull back the curtain on the raw statements people make about what it means to be raised 'white' but identify as Black.

An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures

“Your parents are so amazing for adopting you! You should be grateful that you were adopted.”

Angela Tucker is a Black woman, adopted from foster care by white parents. She has heard this microaggression her entire life, usually from well-intentioned strangers who view her adoptive parents as noble saviors. She is grateful for many aspects of her life, but being transracially adopted involves layers of rejection, loss, and complexity that cannot be summed up so easily.

In “You Should Be Grateful,” Tucker centers the experiences of adoptees to share deeply personal stories, well-researched history, and engrossing anecdotes from mentorship sessions with adopted youth. These perspectives challenge the fairy-tale narrative of adoption, giving way to a fuller story that explores the impacts of racism, classism, family, love, and belonging.