Joys of Heritage : ‘Festival of Lights’ Gives Adoptive Families a Time to Celebrate Roots

Six-year-old Brandon Lowder anxiously waited in line in his Camarillo back yard Saturday for his turn to Pin the Flame on the Diwali Lamp.

Although the gathering of about 20 children could have passed for any Southern California birthday party, these children were at Brandon’s home for a different kind of celebration: to share and learn about India--and their roots.

All of the youngsters--ages 2 to 9--were adopted by Southern California couples and single parents with the help of Bal Jagat-Children’s World, a Chatsworth-based adoption service.

Founded in 1983 by Hemlata Momaya, a native of Calcutta, Bal Jagat has found homes across Southern California for about 500 children from 20 countries, including India, Romania, Russia, Paraguay and China.

Saturday’s festivities in the spacious back yard of Brian and Sandy Lowder--which attracted families from Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties--featured the Hindu year-ending celebration Diwali, or the “Festival of Lights.”

“It’s very important for these children to know where they come from and to be exposed to both cultures,” Momaya said.

“All of these children ask why are they different from their white parents,” she said. “If you teach them from childhood, they are never confused who they are when they grow up.”

Momaya said similar festivities are organized for children of Chinese, Romanian, Paraguayan, Russian and Mexican descent.

Brandon, 6, is Indian-born, as is his 4-year-old sister, Amanda. Their parents sought the help of Bal Jagat after a futile years-long attempt to adopt through the bureaucracy-laden domestic system.

“It was a real unhappy experience,” said Brian Lowder, a manager at Browning-Ferris Industries in Santa Paula. “Bal Jagat, though, was a total opposite. It was a complete success.”

As the children played on a swing set, ate Indian foods, listened to storytelling and attempted to pin an orange paper flame atop a make-believe Deepa--the clay lamp used for Diwali decoration--parents swapped stories about their adoption experiences.

“Because I was single, I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere adopting a child in Los Angeles County,” said Jill Johnson, 49, of Westlake Village.

Johnson adopted two children--Ryan, 7, and Kelly, 5--with the help of Bal Jagat when the children were just a few months old. Johnson is expecting her third India-born child, a boy, in the next few months.

“I know my brother will be nice,” said Ryan with a wide smile, “because his middle name will be Rajan, which is Indian for ‘Sunshine.’ ”

For Terryl Miller of Ventura, Bal Jagat also proved to be a successful alternative to the local adoption system.

In 1985, the single parent thought she had successfully adopted a newborn, only to have the boy’s mother reverse her decision after several months.

“The mother decided she wanted the child returned,” said Miller. “It was absolutely devastating.”

Soon after, Miller, 47, an associate executive director of Interface: Children and Family Services, heard about Bal Jagat and contacted Momaya.

After the normal rigorous screening and application process, which lasted nearly a year, Miller adopted daughter Jordan, now 6.

At the Diwali celebration Saturday, Jordan wore a green, flowing sari, the traditional dress of India.

“It’s important to have her around people of color and expose her to Indian culture,” said Miller, who is also the mother of an domestically adopted 5-year-old son.

“Maintaining contact with other Indian children makes for a more natural home life,” said Alexandra Watts, who trucked in from Sierra Madre. She and her husband, Don, are the parents of two adopted daughters, Sarah, 9, and Amanda, 8.

“Taking part in celebrations like this can help give our daughters a fuller identity,” Watts said.

Jason and Diane Moss drove in from Venice, but they did not yet have any children in tow.

“We just started the process to adopt a child,” said Jason Moss, who teaches at Pepperdine University and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

“We decided to adopt through Bal Jagat after hearing of all the horror stories dealing with local adoption agencies,” he said.

“It can be terribly hard for American families to adopt a child domestically,” said Momaya, 48, who treated the assembled party-goers like an extended family.

“In some of these foreign countries there are many children but few families.”