Introduction to Special Issue: Adoptees' Ethnic Identity Within Family and Social Contexts

This special issue focuses on the construction of ethnic identity among international transracial adoptees (ITRAs) in the context of their families and community. These studies represent an emerging focus on identity development in families where parents, as members of the dominant culture, face the task of helping children who are members of minority groups, develop a positive identity. Because the process of identity formation is developmental, the six articles study explore identity from middle childhood through emerging adulthood and feature diverse ITRAs at different ages and adopted into the United States and Italy, as well as different sample sizes and methodologies, including two community-based interventions.