The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) was established on November 19, 2001, by The City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees, in a resolution introduced by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. The Institute is a university-wide scholarly research and resource center that focuses on policies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Americans. It covers four areas: Asian American Studies; East Asian Studies; South Asian Studies; and Trade & Technology Studies.
https://aaari.info
Love, Life, and Death in Transnational Adoptions from Asia
In this talk based on his upcoming book supported by the Betty Lee Sung Research Endowment Fund, Prof. Kit Myers explores how the orphan figure; birth and adoptive families; and sending (Asian) and receiving (United States) nations have been configured in transnational adoption discourse and law. Looking at popular television, legal journals, and congressional hearings, Prof. Myers considers how racialized notions of love, life, and death inform the best interest of the child determinations in transnational adoption policymaking. What sorts of already existing violent structures and representations are operating in order to activate and facilitate transnational adoptions? How has transnational adoption, as a loving act, produced violent outcomes?