Year of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MFA: Dance

Directing Professor

Jeffery N. Bullock

Abstract

This thesis explores complex themes of becoming, belonging, and how they shape identity through the perspective of transracial adoption. The investigation draws from personal experiences, cultural texts, and nature vs. nurture research. Combining self-reflection with scholarly sources allows for a broader picture of adoption trauma rather than a fixed bias. The author's research considers the circumstances surrounding adoption, including birth parents giving their child up due to social, economic, legal, or political constraints. This thesis examines finding a place of belonging in public, in community, in family, and in society. This concept of belonging has different meanings based on people's perceptions. Some sources, including personal narrative, suggest that genetic ties shape culture, while others argue that it is formed through learned habits of the adoptive family. This thesis engages the tension between nature and nurture to examine how identity is constructed, questioning whether culture is inherited through ancestry or developed through lived experience. This also helps us conclude how adoptees reconcile racial identity within their new adoptive cultural environment. Rather than a singular framework, this thesis argues that belonging is present through biology, experience, and personal meaning. Lastly, the impact of stereotypes inhibits achieving a sense of belonging by limiting people to their racial boxes, but it becomes greater when adoption stigmas are present.

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Performance Access Statement

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