Heritage Album - Adoptees: Can't do your family tree?

Adoptees: Can't do your family tree?

Well, do your pup's instead! http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2008-06-24-dog-dna-quiz_N.htm Doesn't it seem UNREAL that in 2009, there are people who have their identities kept from them by the government? And that some of us have had to pay or break the law (or both) to find out who they really are?

Public Comments

I'll never know who I am ....... I came to that realization last week My dog can have a DNA test and I can get the breeds that she is made up of.... But, how do you get "life" from 12 foster homes and 1 bio-home....talk about pieces.
It does seem unreal!!! Does anyone know if this is the same in Canada?
I think its messed up that I can know the name of my dogs' great great grandpappy but I can't get my own documentation. At least until June this year. Then, after however long the waiting period is going to be, I will finally be able to see my original birth certificate. Thank you Ontario!! I hope everywhere else follows suit. Nobody should be kept from their own information. Ever.
OMG, thats just sickening Sunny! It is wrong to hide and deny a person's identity and plain disgusting that dogs who are not even human beings would be allowed something some people cannot get due to discriminatory laws. What a sad world we live in if it allows dogs to have their 'information' (like why do they need it, they're just dogs?) and people are denied their info. Plain wrong.
When I was growing up as an adopted child, the school that I attended did not do family trees, but when we adopted 2 children, they were given this assignment. Both of them were very comfortable in using our family as their family tree. The person that adopted me was my mother, and I am there's. Never bothered either one of them
Thankfully, at this point, the only thing slowing down the growth of my family tree is burnt courthouses. I do remember, however, using my adoptive family tree as a child. I didn't complain about it, either, but I sure wasn't happy about it. I remember thinking that I was the only person in my class who lied about their ancestors, and that's just how I felt about it. Yes, it's horrible we're treated worse than dogs, and our mothers are given less respect than a pedigreed b***h. If a dog breeder falsified papers, they would be charged with fraud. We, however, are supposed to be satisfied pretending we're something we are not. It's pathetic.
""Yes, it's horrible we're treated worse than dogs, and our mothers are given less respect than a pedigreed b***h. If a dog breeder falsified papers, they would be charged with fraud."" Excellent example in relation to amended birth certificates and one that should be used over and over again to decry sealed records and the legalized lie known as an Amended Birth Certificate. When a dog's owner/breeder has more rights than a Human Being...as a species we are in BIG TROUBLE! Not the least to mention the absolute stupidity of our Lawmakers who defend such discriminatory laws/practices against 'human' adopted people and their 'human' first mother.
It really is ridiculous. Like SJM said, I felt guilty, too when I had to do my family tree in school. Our was an ancestral, genetic tree. Ummm....we are NOT genetically related to our adoptive family. At all. I dont understand how adoptees can say "it never bothered them". That's so unbelievable to me. You are not genetically related to your family, and not feeling bothered about doing a project at school that is not entirely truthful is unimaginable to me. I added an asterisk to my name, and to my brother's name and explained that we were adopted. That way, I could do the project, yet not lie while doing it. When my girls had to do family trees, they did the same, but they actually made 2. With my adoptive family "tree", and a tree with my natural family members. Their teachers were quite impressed. I think it's ridiculous that people (some a p's and a small handful of adoptees here) discount the importance of genetics and family lineage. We, as adoptees can love our a families, but we will never be "related" to them on a biological level. That has nothing to do with being happy or unhappy, that's just science, folks. I have my dog's papers, but cannot have mine...
it is a little weird that we cant find out who are parents are! i dont have a dog so i cant =(
When I was growing up as an adopted child, the school that I attended did family trees. Both my a'brother and I made damned sure our a'parents thought we were very comfortable in using their family as our family tree, because we didn't want to act ungrateful to the a'parents we did and do love very much. My a'parents had no idea for decades that it ever bothered either one of us. Moral: We have no way of truly knowing what bothers or doesn't bother someone else, especially when those people depend on us for food, shelter, and love, and therefore have good reason to want to please us.
Our four cats are strays and shelter animals. Two of them are littermates who still like to sleep together (when they're not fighting). I did a genetic family tree (eye color) back in high school which must have raised an eyebrow or two - but since I didn't know I was adopted, it didn't bother me. In my 20s I spent a lot of time interviewing my grandparents for ancestry information - names, dates, places. Which they happily obliged. It wasn't until I was 31 that I found out I was "barking up the wrong tree". Now I have to start all over. I'm still researching family trees for my adoptive siblings (bio kids) and my current and ex-husband (my kids' dad) and even my step-mom. Mine will have to wait until NY opens records - of course if my mom used an alias, my OBC will be just another falsified document which should be at least a Class A Misdemeanor. Don't you think?
I think they're invading the grandpup's right to privacy! Blech my animals can trace their genealogy further back than the average adoptee. It's just wrong.
Um. Wow. I can't say anything else. Just wow.
Sunny, I agree. It seems to be a violation of a basic human right to not be able to have access to ones genetic family tree. I do a bit of genealogy and have a program called Family Tree Maker. If a family member is/was adopted, you're supposed to indicate that on the tree. This is apparently meant to notify biological family tree members that this person is not genuine.
When we thought I was going to have to make a family tree for school in eighth grade, I flat out told my amom I wasn't comfortable doing it. I explained to her that I thought it was pointless to spend time research a genealogy that I didn't share and... She agreed with me! She called the teacher and explained my position and... HE agreed too and I didn't have to do a family tree. In fact, nobody did. the teacher changed the curriculum! Isn't it sad that my new little puppy has more of a right to her OWN genealogy than I did?
It is completely wrong that American/Canadian adoptees don't have a right to information and OBC. I consider it a violation of human rights not to be allowed this information automatically. There is plenty I hate about adoption in the UK but one thing we have got right over here is that adoptees can access their information and OBC when they turn 18. My son even managed to get a copy of my birth certificate and marriage certificate before we reunited. In a way it would have been nice to have been asked first but I'm not bothered that he got these anyway as I would have let him have copies anyway.