Designing Modern Families: International Perspectives of Intercountry and Transracial Adoptions; this is the conference UW professor, Dr. Tracy Patton, has been asked to speak at in Germany beginning Friday, Nov. 17.
Patton is the co-author, in coordination with Sally Schedlock, of the work “Gender, Whiteness & Power in Rodeo: Breaking Away from the Ties of Sexism & Racism.” Patton is also a professor of communication here at UW.
In regard to the upcoming conference, the idea stems from the effects of interracial and international adoption after WWII in Germany according to an informational article published about the conference by Dr. Sillke Hackenesch.
Hackenesch explained that, until the 1940’s, U.S. adoption agencies attempting to match the adoptive family to the adoptee through various factors including ethnicity, religion and class. Before the 1940’s interracial and international adoptions were considered deviant.
Stemming from this, Hackeneesch discussed the topics of the conference including international adoption of South Korean children, the adoption of Afro-German children by African American families after WWII, adoption and missionary work, literary representations of adoption and changing notions of motherhood, family and childhood as reflected by adoption practices.
Patton commented on the conference as well discussing those who will be in attendance, including professors, graduate and undergraduate students and children who were adopted in the era. With international attendees primarily from the U.S., Europe and Asia.
The idea for this conference stems from other division at various conferences such as the Black German Conference and German Studies Association, Patton said. To the best of her knowledge, this is the first conference of its kind.
The conference will be held in Germany as the event planners are professors from universities there, Patton said. Also, international and interracial adoption is an important topic in Germany right now.
Jan James, a non-traditional master’s student in the communications department, commented on her work with Patton. Patton serves at James’ thesis chair.
“I will say, without any reservation, she has exceeded any expectations that I had. I currently must take out loans to attend school. Unsubsidized loans, and working with her is worth every penny of the debt I have accrued,” James said.
Patton commented on her own history in relation to the conferences’ topic. She has familial experience on the topic at hand.
As a first generation American on her mother’s side, Patton described her German heritage and the involvement in interracial and international adoptions, which affected up to 5,000 German children born during or after WWII.
From here, her research has had a national and transnational focus, working on the particular topic of interracial coupling and mixed-race children after WWII.
With Patton’s expertise in this field, her students, in particular James, have seen the benefit of her professionalism and knowledge.
“Because she has such an incredible insight to diversity and her level of knowledge and expertise she has helped me significantly in my studies. With my studies in video games, she brought to light the other –isms. Now, I am focusing on sexism, but she brought to light ideas of racism, and ageism, really incredible,” James said.
With all of her background in the subject, Patton was asked to be one of the featured speakers to present at the conference. With her publications in this area and her scholarship, Patton commented that she is a prime presenter for the conference.
