In
Children and the Politics of Cultural Belonging, Alice Hearst analyzes the debate over communal and cultural belonging, focusing on “three distinct areas: the debate over domestic transracial adoption of non-American Indian children, the debate over the scope of tribal authority over American Indian children, and the debate over cultural and communal belonging for transnationally adopted children” (Hearst
2012, p. 12). In doing so, Hearst illustrates the difficulty of defining “belonging” but nevertheless asserts the importance of acknowledging “belonging” in discussions regarding adoption and multiculturalism. Hearst also explores the burgeoning international discussion about the extent to which children may have identity rights. …
