International adoptions: the quiet migration

This study is concerned with the adoption of foreign children by persons in developed countries since World War II. Data from the United States and Sweden are used to illustrate the changes in countries of origin that have occurred over time. "In the 1940s most foreign children who were adopted came from Europe. During the next two decades a shift to adopting from Asia occurred, and in the 1970s Latin America became a major source area." The contribution of foreign adoption to international migration flows is considered.