This was a last minute interview in Feb 2011 blogged in March. I'm sat outside the BBC News Studio listening to the Libyan ambassador and a man who decribes himself as an anti-terrorist talk about the riots in North Africa then whisked into the studio with Francesca Polini to discuss transracial adoption. Francesca travelled to and then adopted a child from Mexico and brought her to England because she was not allowed to adopt in in England. Francesca finds the practice of adopting black children to black families detrimental to the child if there are no black families around.

She respects the governments recent directive that race should not be a “deal breaker” when considering adopting black children to white families.

But my question is of the prospective adopting parents –Why do they feel that race is not an issue above their own? What is it about their cultural, political, religious, familial, social, upbringing that has led them to this opinion?

Sensitivity and knowledge on the subject of race is a signifier, a flag if you like, an indicator as to how a person sees and interacts. Francesca told me how grew up with an adopted brother. After the broadcast Francesca passed me her card and I promise to send her my details. “I have written a book about my experience in searching for my child” she says “it’s called Mexican Takeaway”.