My daughter has decided her doll is adopted

Julie, right, is adopted, but Cate is not, according to my daughter.

My daughter has decided that one of her dolls is adopted. I think this is adorable because I think it gives a glimpse of how her 6-year-old mind defines herself racially. (Now I realize she isn't thinking in the heady words that I'm using, but I am.)

My daughter is biracial -- white and Asian.

She has two favorite American Girl dolls -- one is Asian and one is white. She was playing with her dolls the other day, and she declares that "Julie," the white doll, is adopted because she doesn't look like her or Cate, the Asian doll.

_{image credit}

I was a bit surprised that she'd bring this up or even be thinking about it. She does have Chinese friends who were adopted, so she is familiar with the concept. And one of her Chinese adopted friends once asked her if she was adopted. (The girl, I think, was assuming that my daughter had two white parents.)

I find this so fascinating because I'm intrigued with how children in general -- and my children specifically -- understand and define the concept of race. We've told both our kids that daddy is Chinese and mommy is American, but I'm curious of how they define themselves -- and at what point that happens. At what age does she realize that while she looks like me in some significant ways, she's different than me?

Does she see herself as Asian? Does she self-identify as being Chinese?

In her sweet little way she settled the question. Aren't kids amazing?