Beyond teaching history

Joseph Valentino is a 9th grade Pre-IB History teacher who adopted a little girl in 2001. She is from South India and her name is Anna Kamala.  The Valentinos applied to an agency called ASIA, Adoption Services Info  Agency. A social worker was assigned to them to conduct background checks and interviews to be certain that they were suitable to adopt a child.Valentino and his wife decided to adopt from India because there is an immense amount of children living in foster care or orphanages in the country.

A child was designated to them based on parameters they specified, such as age and sex. They received pictures and periodic updates of her health while they waited for the adoption process to be completed.
“The hardest part about the whole process was knowing that your child is out there, somewhere, but you are unable to be with her. The paperwork is doable,” said Valentino Nine or ten months after they applied, Kamala was sent over to the Valentino family.

She was ten and a half months old when they first held her in their arms. Valentino and his wife decided to keep her birth name, Kamala as her middle name so she could still be connected to her culture. They decided to name her Anna to include her in the American culture and make her part of the family as well. They participate in many activities to remind her of her culture, such as Indian festivals and Indian Holidays. Anna is currently taking a class in Indian dance to learn the culture of her people. They hope to teach her new language, either Hindi or Telugu to provide her with the most knowledge possible.

 Once a year the Valentinos visit a family in South Carolina that adopted an Indian child who was flown to the U.S. on the same flight as Anna. They also attend celebrations and potlucks with other families who have adopted children from India.

 “It was extremely easy to incorporate her into our lives. It was completely and totally seamless, and it has been wonderful. My other daughter and her are inseparable, like two peas in a pod.”