[colorado tanker]

The same phenomenon happens in international adoption. Haitian adoptions are usually the least expensive. Adoptions from India are much cheaper than those "china dolls." Russian and other east European adoptions are usually the most expensive, because they're caucasian kids, despite the fact that some of those kids have mental problems and diabilities arising out of some horrific orphanage conditions. Light skin is prized and the countries involved know they can charge for it.

[mlmr]

You are absolutely right. White skin is prized. I have seen people walk over a black adoption to adopt a somewhat broken white baby.

[foreshadowed at waco]

Light skin is prized and the countries involved know they can charge for it.

I am not so sure that white skin is prized...I think that most people who adopt want their child to fit in with their lifestyle...they want them to blend, if you will...white babies resemble white adults...white adults have more money...fewer white girls get pregnant with unwanted kids (maybe) so there's fewer white babies to be adopted (maybe)...but I don't think that rich black people would 'prize' a light skinned child over a child that resembled them...most of the foreign adoptions I know of are white middle class couples adopting healthy newborns from Korea or South America...trendy-artsy multicultural but still not too radical...white people adopting black American children is also very un PC--no white person can communicate cultural heritage to a black orphan (I guess ethnic identity is more important to some people than the love of a family and a solid economic shot in life)