Diana Gonzalez,
Franklin Square, NY.
I am an adopted person. I’ve been searching for my past all my life. I’m 60 now.
One of my adopted parents was Austrian and one was Italian. I was raised to think of myself as Italian. In the early 1970’s I searched and found out I was born in Brooklyn and my name at birth was, Female Gonzalez.
I was of Spanish descent. It was a big shock. I continued searching and around 2000 I found out I am 100% Puerto Rican.
I have issues about what race I am. For instance when my adoptive mom was in the nursing home and I was pushing her around in a wheelchair, I always felt people must think I’m her aide. (My adoptive mom, being Austrian, was light skinned and had green eyes.) I am dark skinned, brown eyes, dark hair. You would never pick us out as mother and daughter.
When she and I were out and about when I was growing up I sometimes felt awkward when we were introduced as mother and daughter. The awkwardness came because we were so different. If I was out with my father, it wasn’t an issue because, being Italian, he was dark like me.
I’m trying to figure out if my adoption would be considered a transracial adoption. Not sure.
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