Adoption and racism in contemporary Sweden, a qualitative study

Sammanfattning

Transracial adoptees in Sweden occupy a unique social position, since they are being raised in Swedish families and culture while often being perceived as non-Swedish because of their appearance. Previous research have highlighted the role of colorblindness, whiteness and belonging, shaping adoptees’ experience, but less attention have been given to how adoptees understand their identities in relation to racism, radicalization in adulthood. The aim of this study is therefore to explore how transracial adoptees’ in Sweden understand their identity in relation to their adoption and racialized experiences. The study is built on a qualitative structure where 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult adoptees’ 23-50 years old in Sweden. The findings show that most of the participants identify as Swedish and often feel culturally Swedish due to their upbringing. However, their experiences reveal that Swedishness continues to be closely associated with whiteness. The participants described being questioned about their origins despite their identification with Sweden. Several participants reported experiences of everyday racism, minority stress, internalized racism and conditional belonging. The finding further demonstrate how adoptees negotiate complex and hybrid identities, where some participants experienced rootlessness and in-betweenness between their adoptive and birth cultures. At the same time, some participants described developing resilience and alternative forms of belonging through these experiences. The study concludes that transracial adoptees challenge understanding of Swedishness and reveal limitations of Sweden’s colorblind discourse. Although adoptees are culturally integrated into Swedish society, racialized perceptions continue to shape their understanding of how race, adoption, and national identity intersect contemporary Sweden.