DRAWING ON THE ADOPTION OF IRISH
CHILDREN BY AMERICAN COUPLES IN
THE 1940s AND 1950s, AND THE
2018 U.S. POLICY OF SEPARATING
CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AT
THE MEXICAN BORDER, TWO AREA
PROFESSORS BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT
THE HISTORICAL ROUTES OF FAMILY
SEPARATION.
DAVID HERNANDEZ, LATINO STUDIES
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT MOUNT
HOLYOKE COLLEGE AND THE DEAN OF
SOCIAL SCIENCES AT MOUNT HOLYOKE
COLLEGE RECENTLY SPOKE ON THE
TOPIC AT HCC AND JOINED ME IN
THE STUDIO.
>> I'VE BEEN WORKING, MY
RESEARCH FOCUS IS ON THE
ADOPTION OF IRISH CHILDREN BY
AMERICAN COUPLES IN THE 1940S,
1950s AND 1960s.
I GOT ACCESS TO SOME NEW
RESEARCH.
I HAD BEEN WORKING ON THIS AT
AROUND THE TIME THAT THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION OR THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION STARTED ITS NEW
POLICIES AT THE MEXICAN BORDER,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S
HAPPENING IN IRELAND IS THAT
PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTED BY
AMERICAN COUPLES ARE NOW COMING
FORWARD DEMANDING ACCESS TO
INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR BIRTHS
AND FAMILIES ANN REALLY STARTED
THINKING, THAT GIVEN WHAT'S
GOING ON AT THE BORDER WITH
CHILDREN BEING SEPARATED, IN
SOME CASES THEY ARE NOT BEING
KEPT TRACK OF.
SOME OF THEM ARE BEING REUNITED,
SOME AREN'T, IF WE DON'T FIGURE
OUT THAT SITUATION AT THE
BORDER, THEN WE'LL HAVE THE SAME
SITUATION WITH THESE KIDS 30
YEARS FROM NOW TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHO THEIR PARENTS ARE, WHERE
THEY CAME FROM, AND WHY THEY
WERE SEPARATED
THE MORE RESEARCH I DID, I SORT
OF SAW SOME INTERESTING
PARALLELS AND COROLLARIES, AND
WHAT'S GOING ON.
>> WE'LL DIG INTO THOSE
SPECIFICS.
I WANT TO BRING YOU INTO THE
CONVERSATION.
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS
PREMISE WHEN YOU LEARNED ABOUT
IT?
>> I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING
BECAUSE I HAD ALSO BEEN
FOLLOWING THE SEPARATIONS AT THE
U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BUT I ALSO SAW IT
IN A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
LOOKING AT -- ESPECIALLY WHEN
THE PROCESS ENDED AFTER SIX
WEEKS, THE IMMEDIATE CHANGE
WOULD HAVE BEEN FAMILY
DETENTION.
I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE NEW
PROCESS OF DETAINING THESE
FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TOGETHER,
AND TRUMP'S INTEREST IN
DETAINING THEM INDEFINITELY
THROUGH THE ADJUDICATION OF
THEIR CASES.
>> JUST IN TERMS OF THE TALK
ITSELF, IT'S CALLED KIDS --
IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AS PAWNS IN
AMERICAN SOCIAL POLICY, AND AS
YOU SAID IT LOOKS AT THE
HISTORICAL FAMILY SEPARATIONS IN
THE 1940s AND 1950s, IN IRELAND.
WHAT DROVE THAT HAPPENING?
>> SO WHAT WAS GOING ON IN
IRELAND AT THE TIME WAS ON THE
ONE HAND YOU HAD CHILDREN BEING
BORN OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE, WHICH
WAS HUGELY PROBLEMATIC IN
IRELAND BECAUSE THEY WERE A
CATHOLIC CHILDREN SO A LOT OF
CHILDREN WHO WERE BORN TO
UNMARRIED MOTHERS DIDN'T HAVE A
LOT OF OPTIONS IN IRELAND.
MOST OF THEM MIGHT HAVE ENDED UP
IN INSTITUTIONS.
A FEW WOULD HAVE STAYED WITH
THEIR FAMILIES.
THERE WERE FAMILIES WHO WELCOMED
THOSE CHILDREN AND DIDN'T
STIGMATIZE THEM THE WAY IRISH
SOCIETY DID BUT A LOT OF THOSE
CHILDREN WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN
INSTITUTIONS SO YOU HAD A
SITUATION WHERE CATHOLIC
AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS HAD A
SURPLUS OF CHILDREN THAT THEY
DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO
WITH AND THEY HAVE GOT TO PAY
FOR THEIR CARE AND FIGURE OUT
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.
MEANWHILE, YOU HAVE AMERICAN
COUPLES WHO ARE CHILDLESS FOR A
NUMBER OF YEARS WHO WANT TO
ADOPTERS A HEALTHY WHITE BABY
BUT THERE IS A SHORT SUPPLY IN
THE U.S. OF HEALTHY WHITE BABIES
AND THE WAITING LISTS ARE LONG,
AND THE RED TAPE IS SIGNIFICANT,
AND SO IN ABOUT 1947 AND 1948
THERE WAS A BIG STORY IN A
NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE
COUNTRY ABOUT A FAMILY WHO WENT
TO IRELAND TO ADOPTERS ONE CHILD
AND THEY ENDED UP BRINGING HOME
THREE AND THE PROCESS WAS LIKE
TWO WEEKS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY
HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME
TO ADOPTERS.
SO ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FLOOD
GATES OPEN AND AMERICAN COUPLES
REALIZED THEY COULD GET AROUND
THE RED TAPE AND LONG WAIT LINES
BY GOING TO IRELAND.
IT WAS AN INTERESTING
JUXTAPOSITION, THE IRISH HAVE A
SURPLUS OF HEALTHY WHITE BABIES
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH
AND THERE ARE AMERICAN CUPELS
WHO ARE ANXIOUS TO LEGITIMIZE
THEIR STATUS AS PARENTS BECAUSE,
IN THE 1940s, 1950s, AND 1960s,
PEOPLE GOT MARRIED TO HAVE
FAMILIES AND IF YOU WERE
CHILDLESS THAT WAS A STIGMA IN
ITSELF.
SO FOR THOSE COUPLES THESE
CHILDREN WERE SORT OF AN ANSWER
TO THEIR OWN PROBLEMS.
>> IS YOUR THINKING NOW THAT
WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE
BORDER, WHERE FAMILIES ARE BEING
SEPARATED, CHILDREN ARE BEING
DETAINED, AND NOW AS WE KNOW, AS
THE MONTHS HAVE PASSED, SOME OF
THESE KIDS AREN'T BEING REUNITED
WITH THEIR PARENTS BECAUSE THEY
HAVE BEEN KIND OF LOST IN THE
SYSTEM.
IS YOUR CONCERN THAT PEOPLE WILL
NOW, IN THE UNITED STATES,
ADOPTERS THOSE CHILDREN AND THEY
WILL NEVER BE REUNITED WITH
THEIR FAMILIES?
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE CONCERNS.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING
WITH THE REMAINDER -- THE DOZENS
AND DOZENS OF CHILDREN THAT
REMAIN.
THEIR PARENTS WERE DEEM
INELIGIBLE FOR UNIFICATION,
EITHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALREADY
BEEN DEPORTED OR THEY HAD A
CRIMINAL RECORD SO THOSE
CHILDREN ARE PERMANENTLY HERE IN
THE UNITED STATES AND IN FOSTER
CARE.
AND THEY CAN GO INTO THE
ADOPTION PROCESS FROM THERE.
>> AND SO YOU POINTED OUT,
ANOTHER POINT THAT I UNDERSTAND
YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE IN THE
DISCUSSION, IS THAT OVER THE
PAST 70 YEARS IMMIGRANT CHILDREN
HAVE REPRESENTED THE BIGGEST
HOAX BUT ALSO THE WORST FEARS OF
AMERICAN SOCIETY.
LET'S START WITH THE FEARS.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THOSE?
>> I MEAN, I THINK THE PHRASE WE
OFTENTIMES HERE IS A VERY
NEGATIVE PHRASE CALLED THE
NOTION OF THE ANCHOR BABY, THAT
PARENTS ARE COMING HERE TO HAVE
CHILDREN IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE
THEMSELVES CITIZENSHIP.
THE MOST RECENT ITERATION OF
THIS IS TRUMP'S CLAIM THAT HE
CAN CHANGE THE 14TH AMENDMENT
AND GET RID OF BIRTH RIGHT
CITIZENSHIP WHICH IS WHAT
ESTABLISHES CITIZENSHIP, BEING
BORN IN THE UNITED STATES AND
THAT'S THE LINK TO THE NOTION OF
THE ANCHOR BABY.
>> IN TERMS OF -- WE'VE SEEN IT
IN THIS REGION, WHERE LARGELY,
WE'RE AN AGING POPULATION IN
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, AND A
SHRINKING POPULATION WHEN YOUNG
PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF STATE TO GAIN
EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE AND WHAT
HAVE YOU, WE DO KNOW THE
HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS A GROWING
SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION SO DO
YOU SEE THAT AS ONE OF THE HOPES
OR IF NOT WHAT DO YOU SEE AS ONE
OF THE HOPES?
>> ALL CHILDREN PRESENT THE IDEA
OF HOPE AND BEING RAISED HERE.
WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, WHERE
OUR STUDIES DIVERGE IS WHERE
WHITE ADOPTEES WERE SEEN AS A
CHILD THAT WAS DESIRED, LATINO
CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS AND
FAMILIES AND THEIR EXTENDED
FAMILY ARE SEEN AS CHILDREN THAT
ARE NOT DESIRABLE.
>> I SEE YOU NODDING.
>> THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS.
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IRELAND
WAS SO ATTRACTIVE TO AMERICAN
COUPLES IS, AND, YOU EVEN SEE
THIS IN SOME OF THE
CORRESPONDENCE THAT OCCURS
BETWEEN THE RELIGIOUS AGENCIES
THERE AND SOME OF THE GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AND AND SOME OF THE
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ADOPTERS,
THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF A
TAINT, MEANING THERE IS NO
POSSIBILITY THAT THEY WILL BE
ANYTHING BUT PURE WHITE IRISH
BABIES AND THAT WAS THE BOTTOM
LINE.
THERE WERE PLENTY OF CHILDREN
WHO WERE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION
IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE TIME
BUT THEY WEREN'T WHITE AND
THAT'S WHAT THESE COUPLES
WANTED, WHITE CHILDREN TO ALLOW
THEM TO LIVE OUT THEIR HOPES AS
PARENTS AND YOU SEE THEM NOT AS
JUST WANTING TO RESOLVE THAT
CHILDLESS STATUS WHICH WAS
PROBLEMATIC BUT IN A LOT OF
NEWSPAPER STORIES AT THE TIME
YOU SEE PARENTS TALKING ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, ONE GUY TALKS ABOUT
THE FACT THAT HE WAS A NOTRE
DAME ALUM BUT HE NEVER GOT TO
PLAY FOOTBALL SO HE WANTS A SON
TO PLAY VARSITY FOOTBALL AT
NOTRE DAME AND WOMEN TALK ABOUT
THEY WANT DAUGHTERS TO DRESS
THEM UP AND DO THEIR HAIR NICE.
SO YOU SEE PARENTS TALKING ABOUT
THESE CHILDREN AS COMMODITIES
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT I USE THE
WORD CONSUMPTION BECAUSE THESE
CHILDREN WERE BEING CONSUMED.
THERE WAS NO THOUGHT TO WHAT
THEIR BEST INTEREST WERE AND
WHEN YOU SEE SOME OF THESE
PHOTOGRAPHS BECAUSE THERE WERE
TONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE
AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS AT THE TIME
WHAT YOU SEE ARE THESE PARENTS
WHO HAVE LOOKS OF JOY ON THEIR
FACE AND CHILDREN WHO ARE
TRAUMATIZED.
THEIR FACES ARE CLEARLY
TRAUMATIZED.
THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING
ON AND THAT'S ANOTHER PLACE
WHERE THERE ARE SIMILARITIES.
THOSE CHILDREN WHO WERE BROUGHT
OVER HERE WERE TRAUMATIZED FROM
THE START AND AS THEY GET OLDER
AND DISCOVER THAT THEIR ROOTS
ARE NOT WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY
WERE, PERHAPS THEY DISCOVER THAT
THEIR MOTHER IS NOT THEIR
BIOLOGICAL MOTHER, THERE IS
TRAUMA THAT'S NOT BEEN ADDRESSED
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING
TO SEE.
>> WHAT ARE WE SEEING RIGHT NOW
IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE, WHO AREN'T
MAYBE -- WHO DON'T HAVE A
CONNECTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING
AT THE BORDER?
WHAT'S THE PERCEPTION OR IS
THERE A PERCEPTION AMONG THE
COMMUNITY LIKE, IS THERE
SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO
HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT OR ARE
THEY AFRAID TO GET INVOLVED FOR
FEAR OF BEING LUMPED IN WITH
SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY
CONTROVERSIAL RIGHT NOW?
>> I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY IT.
I THINK WHEN ANTI-IMMIGRANT
SENTIMENT IS FRAMED AS AN
ANTI-LATINO ISSUE IT SPILLS OVER
INTO THE ANTI-LATINO COMMUNITY
WHETHER CITIZEN OR NONCITIZEN SO
PEOPLE -- THAT CAN BOTH
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED
AND TO SEE THE HUMANITY OF THE
SITUATION, THAT'S NOT BEING
TALKED ABOUT, OR IT CAN DRAW
SOME PEOPLE AWAY AND PEOPLE WILL
GO UNDER THE RADAR, ESPECIALLY
IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES,
MIGHT STAY AWAY FROM THE ISSUE
AT TIMES BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY
CAN BE TARGETED FOR VIOLENCE,
FOR ANTI-IMMIGRANT HATRED AND
OTHER THINGS.
>> ONE LAST QUESTION.
AS WE LOOK AT THE COURSE OF
HISTORY AND LOOK AT IMMIGRANT
POPULATIONS WHETHER IT'S IRISH
PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S CATHOLIC,
WHETHER IT'S JEWISH, WHO ARE
PERSECUTED THROUGH THE YEARS,
AND NOW WE CIRCLE BACK AND SOME
OF THOSE GROUPS ARE MORE WIDELY
ACCEPTED, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE
OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR
THE HISPANIC POPULATION RIGHT
NOW, THAT'S SORT OF BEING
VILIFIED BUT IN X AMOUNT OF
YEARS MIGHT BE MORE BROADLY
ACCEPTED?
>> I'M NOT SURE IF THAT
ACCEPTANCE IS WIDESPREAD.
WHAT YOU SEE IS THE SORT OF
ANTI-IMMIGRANT SENTIMENT IS
INTERGENERATIONAL SO PEOPLE ARE
BORN INTO A NEW WAVE.
WHERE AS IN THE PAST, ETHNIC
GROUPS THAT CAME TO THE UNITED
STATES,E THEY WERE CERTAINLY MET
WITH SVI
VITRIOL, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO
MAINSTREAM THEMSELVES.
FOR NONWHITES, THEY STILL REMAIN
ON THE MARGINS OF SOCIETY.
