Guest Post: Who am I? Thoughts on adoption from a former Haitian adoptee

Who Am I?

I was born Marie-Nicole Clermont. However, after I was adopted from Haiti by white Americans, I was renamed.  Nicole Schultz.  Apparently their oldest daughter's middle name was Marie, therefore they took that away. Am I bitter about that? Hmm, yes a little bit.  I never understood how her middle name had anything to do with my first name.  Yeah, pretty much that whole fiasco never made a whole lot of sense to me.  When I was in second grade, I got everyone including my teachers to call me Marie. Eventually, I just accepted that I was Nicole.  Am I bitter that I probably will never get to see my biological family, or anyone biologically related to me?  Yes, it is an ache that I constantly battle, something that will never go away.  Did I grow up thinking it was strange that they were white and I wasn't?  No.  There never were racial barriers between my family and me. The only barriers were inflicted by the outside world:  people thinking that white parents could never adopt someone from another race.  Well, they're wrong, because I and thousands others are proof.  The only thing that causes barriers with white people adopting children from other races are the people judging them, the ones who have no experience of the matter and insist on making damaging opinions regardless.  In simple terms, they pass judgment on things they know not of.  But if you were to ask me if I ever would take it back, the life I now live, for the life I once I lived in Haiti, the answer would be no.  I wouldn't trade the world, the parents, and the family I have now.  Sure, there are some struggles I face, that I wouldn't have had if I were an American adopted by another American.  However, that is neither here nor there.  I was put up for adoption by my biological father, because he wanted a better life for me. Who is it to deny him the opportunity to give his child a better life, when the opportunity is available?!

My American parents adopted me out of love.  They weren't crazed celebrities trying to add me as a good looking accessory to show off to their aristocratic society.  Nor were they some religious fanatics trying to save my soul for judgment day.  No, they were simple people, who wanted to have another child.  Well, and that child was me.  Nicole Kristine Schultz, born in Haiti, raised in America.  And I am still ever bit 100% Haitian, and no one will ever be able to take that from me.

-Nicole Schultz