Mixed Race Studies

Race in the Race: Mixed Race Identity and Obama’s Campaign

National Communications Association 95th Annual Convention
Chicago Hilton & Towers, Chicago, IL
2009-11-11
15 pages

Iliana Rucker
University of New Mexico

During Obama’s campaign, a video was created by the Los Angeles Times consisting of interviews with individuals who identify as multiracial. Three sections within the video are identified: assumptions about race, assumptions about racism, and the ideal of transcending race. Each section contains progressive and non-progressive stances on issues concerning multiracial identity and Obama’s candidacy. Obama’s presence in the campaign and his election may recast how race is talked about for the future.

Read the entire paper here.

Race on Trial: Passing and the Van Houten Case in Boston

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the 94th Annual Convention
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Hilton Cincinnati, Netherland Plaza
Cincinnati, Ohio
2009-09-30

Zebulon V. Miletsky, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies
Stony Brook University, State University of New York

In 1894 Anna Van Houten sued Asa P. Morse in a controversial “breach of promise” case in Boston after he withdrew his proposal of marriage upon the discovery of her black ancestry. Morse contended it was a promise that he was not bound to keep because Van Houten was passing for white and had misrepresented herself by concealing her true identity. The case caused quite a stir in the delicate social and racial hierarchy of Boston and was watched very closely by the press who fed the public’s appetite for every detail of the scandal. While many in the public sympathized with Morse for having been deceived, the court concluded that the concealment of her race was not a factor and a breach of promise had indeed been committed. As a result, Van Houten won her original case as well as a sizable settlement. However, the verdict caused a public outcry. The case was successfully appealed and eventually overturned using a legal argument that claimed race constituted valid grounds for a breach of promise.

This paper examines the Van Houten case and what it reveals about Northern anxieties over passing and interracial marriage in the late nineteenth century in cities like Boston. The court’s acceptance of Morse’s appeal is problematic in that interracial marriages or engagements required a legal remedy to prevent them even though they were not prohibited by the state. The case also provides a unique glimpse into the public’s beliefs about the physical nature of race at the very moment when those views were beginning to shift from a scientific understanding to one that is more socially constructed. Finally, this case sheds light on the phenomenon of passing which gave way to a new legal construction of race that allowed for different kinds of evidence, such as photographs and witness testimony to prove the racial identity of an individual.

When the Options Are Open: Racial Identification of Part-American Indian Children in Census 2000 

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association
Atlanta Hilton Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia
2003-08-16
23 pages

Carolyn A. Liebler, Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of Minnesota

I will use data on part-American Indian children in the 2000 Census 1 percent- PUMS data (expected March 2003) to assess my hypotheses that thick racial ties within the family constrain racial identification, and that structural aspects of the community (group size, inequality, and racial heterogeneity) affect racial identification when racial ties are thin within the family. I use the case of American Indians because their high levels of intermarriage and complex patterns of assimilation/identity retention for generations provide a varied group of people who could potentially identify their race as American Indian. Several hypotheses are supported by similar analyses using 1990 data, signifying that racial identification among people with mixed-heritage is affected by the social world beyond individual psychology and racial ties within the family. However, additional analyses using Census 2000 data are necessary because people of mixed heritage could mark multiple races (or a single race) in 2000. This freedom of choice in racial identification opens the door for new insights into patterns in and reasons behind racial identification among mixed-race people.

Read the entire paper here.

“What are you?” Biracial Perceptions of Persistent Identity Questions when Bodily Appearances signify Race

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association
Sheraton New York
New York, New York
2005-05-26 through 2005-05-30
23 pages

Erica Butcher
Ohio State University

This qualitative study examines the perceptions of Biracial females persistently questioned about their identity when bodily appearance suggests race. The participants frequently approached by random strangers and questioned about their race, articulate how they interpret identity questions. The “What are you?” phenomenon that they routinely experience, is understudied in the fields of interpersonal communication, sociology and psychology. Social Legitimacy is considered in relation to acceptance of racial identities when bodily appearance is not consistent with expectations. The participants experiences suggest that many people still rely on appearance as a signifier of race despite the growing multiracial population in the U.S. This study raises questions for future research that should consider how changing demographics in the U.S. might influence perceptions of bodily appearance in conjuncture with the construct of race.

Read the entire paper here.

Social Comparisons, Social Networks, and Racial Identity: The Case of Black-White Biracial Americans

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting
Hilton San Francisco
San Francisco, California
2009-08-08
47 pages

Nikki Khanna Sherwin, Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of Vermont

Cathryn Johnson, Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies
Emory University

A growing body of work examining biracial identity points to the importance of social networks in shaping racial identity, yet few studies explore how social networks shape identity. Adding to previous work, we discover a key process mediating between social networks and racial identity – social comparisons (Festinger 1954). Drawing on interview data with 40 black-white biracial Americans, we find that they compare themselves to others on several dimensions to shape their racial identities, and that they invoke both “realistic” comparisons (comparisons with real others) and “constructive” comparisons (comparisons with imagined others). We argue that the types of comparisons they use (whether “realistic” or “constructive”) are largely influenced by the racial composition of their networks and have implications for their racial identities. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical implications of these findings and offer two propositions regarding the relationships between social networks, social comparisons, and identity more generally.

Read the entire paper here.

More than a Metaphor: Blood as Boundary for Korean Biracial Identity

NCA 95th Annual Convention
Chicago Hilton & Towers
Chicago, Illinois
2009-11-11

Myra Washington
College of Media, Institute of Communications Research
University of Illinois

When Hines Ward was named MVP of Super Bowl XL, his Black and Korean biracial status became the touchstone for conversations about mixed-race people in Korea. His “homecoming” trip generated a frenzied discourse around the limits of Korean identity and the location of bi/multiracial individuals within it. Ward’s racial representation allows for the analysis of nationhood, citizenship, difference and race as imagined through blood metaphors.

Read the entire paper here.

Endogenous Race in Brazil: Affirmative Action and the Construction of Racial Identity among Young Adults

Working Paper
2010-01-10

Andrew M. Francis, Professor of Economics
Emory University

Maria Tannuri-Pianto, Professor of Economics
University of Brasilia

Brazil is not only characterized by racial diversity but also by socioeconomic inequality. This complexity, plus the recent adoption of racial quotas by a handful of universities, makes Brazil an ideal place to study the construction of racial identity. In this paper, we examine applicants and students of the University of Brasilia, which established racial quotas in July 2004 reserving 20% of available admissions slots for students who self-identified as black. Using admissions data as well as a student survey conducted by the authors, we explore the determinants of racial identity, including socioeconomic status, parents’ race, academic performance, and quotas in admissions. We find that, holding skin tone constant, socioeconomic status and academic performance vary inversely with black identity. The evidence suggests that young adults in mixed race families are more likely to identify with their mother’s race than their father’s, and that this pattern relates to gender and father’s absence during childhood. We also find that quotas in university admissions increased the likelihood that applicants and students self-identified as non-white, and that this phenomenon was attributable, in part, to actual change in racial identity.

Read the entire paper here.

My Coloured Thoughts: Last of the Mohicans and Perceptions of Mixed Race Peoples

Originally presented at the 1999 Southwest Graduate Literature Symposium on “Expanding ‘Literature(s)’, Challenging Boundaries”
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
1999-03-12 through 1999-03-14

Zoë Ludski
Ryerson Polytechnic University

But alas, to make me
A fixed figure for the time of scorn
To point his slow unmoving finger at
Othello act 4, scene. 2

Although Coopers novel, The Last of the Mohicans, is obviously outdated in its reflection of Native American people, the depiction of Cora, a women of mixed race, maintains its validity today. The text provides valuable insight into race issues surrounding multiracial people that is still pertinent and important today. Cooper is extremely perceptive in showing how Cora’s heritage affects her self perception and causes her to judge herself and others in light of visible characteristics such as skin colour.

Today’s discussions and literature on race issues present a wide range of feelings on the topic of mixed race. Currently in the United States there is a large movement supporting the creation of a multiracial category for the US census. This movement has considerable opposition, particularly from within the black American community. This situation is a reminder of the diverse opinions and contrasting views in regards to the issue of mixed race.

It is valuable to re-examine the character Cora in light of contemporary race theory in order to gain an insight into the past and present of mixed race people in America…

Read the entire paper here.

Hybridity in the Third Space: Rethinking Bi-cultural Politics in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Paper Presented to Te Oru Rangahau Maori Research and Development Conference
1998-07-07 through 1998-07-09
Massey University
7 pages

Paul Meredith (Ngati Kaputuhi/Pakeha), Research Fellow
Te Matahauariki Institute
University of Waikato, New Zealand

This brief paper joins a growing call for a reconceptualisation of bicultural politics in Aotearoa/New Zealand that draws on an inclusionary and multifaceted identity politics. (Reilly 1996; McClean 1997; Spoonley 1997) The paper argues the need for this conceptualisation to take place in an alternative space that blurs the limitations of boundaries and engenders new possibilities.

In this paper I invoke Homi Bhabha’s notions of hybridity and the third space and offer some introductory comment as to what these concepts might mean for a project that seeks to redesign the laws and institutions for a bicultural Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Read the entire paper here.

Meeting the Needs of Multi/Biracial Children in School and at Home

University of Wisconsin, Stout
December 2009
62 pages

Brea Cunico

A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Guidance and Counseling

In an extension of research on marginalized populations, the present study identified and explored the unique needs of biracial/multiracial children. Unlike their single-race counterparts,the experience of the multiracial child is substantially different due to their ambiguous ethnicity.  A review of literature on this topic revealed six major themes among the multiracial community.  Following a thorough discussion of each need, implications for the school counselor and parents of biracial children has been provided.  To raise awareness and concern for this population in schools and at home, recommendations for application of research in this area of study center on educational and child rearing strategies for the school counselor and parents of biracial children. Practical suggestions are provided in  a convenient manual, along with a supplementary list of resources.

Table of Contents

Abstract

Chapter I: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Assumptions of the Study
Definition of Terms
Limitations of the Study

Chapter II : Literature Review
Biracial Movement into America
Statistical Portrait
Racial Identity Model—Marguerite Wright
Maladaptive Behaviors Observed in Biracial Children
Exploration of Needs
Affirmation
Special Hair/Skin Care
Positive Sources to Identify With
Affiliation
Clear Ethnic Title
Freedom to Individualize
Summary of Findings

Chapter III: Methodology
Subject Selection and Description
Instrumentation
Promising Practices
Supply List
Data Collection Procedures
Data Analysis
Limitations of the Resource Manual

Chapter IV: Resource Manual
Note to Recipient
Navigating the Manual
Promising Practices [Manual]
Supply List [Manual]
References

Read the entire paper here.