In Their Voices by Rhonda M. Roorda

Author:Rhonda M. Roorda [Roorda, Rhonda M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SOC025000, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Social Work, FAM004000, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Adoption & Fostering
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2015-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

MICHELLE M. HUGHES

Adoption Attorney and Adoptive Mother

INTERVIEWED BY TELEPHONE, JANUARY 21, 2013

Michelle, it is a pleasure to speak with you about children, families, adoption, and race. Given that you are a biracial woman, adoptive mother, daughter, adoption attorney, and a transracial adoption expert, I think your perspective will be fascinating. First, my condolences go to you on the loss of your father. What are two key values he taught you that you apply to your life today?

One of the things that I asked my father was “What is your philosophy of life?” He said, “Live it.” I think that internally I have always taken that away and have always believed in living my life and gaining new experiences. In fact I often say that I am more interested in spending my money on experiences than on things. That was definitely one of the values that I took away from him. Frankly being frugal is another value that I took away from both my father and mother. The other thing that I would say, especially because of his passing being so recent, [w]hat has definitely left an imprint on me is the whole concept about fighting for what you believe in and that everybody should be entitled to respect as a human being, regardless of race.

Some of the things that have come out during my dad’s passing shed light onto who my dad was and his desire for a racially integrated society. For example, one of the stories that I recently heard was about my dad’s time as a World War II veteran. He was stationed in Tennessee in the South in the 1940s. He was part of a movement that pushed for racial integration on that base with regards to the library. And as his friend said, “Your dad lived to tell about it.” And so as different stories came out in different parts of his life, I realized that he had always been pushing for racial integration. It wasn’t just personal. It was public. Another story is that he would walk into grocery stores and fast-food places, and if there were not enough blacks or no blacks, he would find the manager and tell them, “You need to hire some black people.” To know that my father actually voiced that concern, I think is probably part of the legacy of why I have such an outspoken personality and sometimes tell people what I think, which is not always in my best interest, but I do it anyway.

Tell me about your childhood: What was it like to be biracial and to grow up with parents from different racial and ethnic backgrounds? And can you expand upon how the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision shaped your reality and that of your parents?

I think that the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision impacted me more as an adult as I understood what my parents had done.1 My parents were married before the decision. So when they were married, interracial marriage was actually illegal in fourteen states.

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