Georgia Southern University
June 2011
264 pages
Geralda Silva Nelson
A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education
The aim of this study was to examine how three women of color, mothers of Multiracial children, experience gender and racial identity issues in the context of United States; explore their choice of racial indicator for their children and the impact that raising multiracial children would have on their own racial identity. This study was informed by critical race feminist thought, framed by qualitative inquiry and oral history as research methodology. Throughout this study I have attempted to demonstrate that gender and race are significant factors in these three women’s lived experiences. The participants’ accounts revealed how different aspects of sexism, racism, heritage pride, and racial invisibility have been a part of their lives, and influenced the choices of racial indicators for their multiracial children. There was ample evidence from the stories of these three participants that the racial identity indicator of their multiracial children and the consequences of these choices, provided a more significant set of apprehensions than the concerns these three women had for their own gender and racial identity issues. Data was collected through semi-structured open ended interviews.
Table of Contents
- 1. INTRODUCTION
- Multiracial Individuals in the United States
- Exploring Adequate Racial Identity
- Educational Significance of the Study
- 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
- Racism as a Factor in the U.S. Society
- Gender as a Determinant Factor
- Gender and Race Intersection
- Study Framework: Critical Race Feminism
- Issues of Ethnic Identity
- White Mothers of Multiracial Children
- Racial Labeling
- Children‟s Perception of Their Racial Identity
- Racial Identity via Peer Pressure
- Social and Racial Power
- Racial Categorization
- Politics of Education and Language
- Literacy and the Development of Identity
- Themes Presented in the Literature Reviewed
- 3. METHODOLOGY
- Oral History
- Oral History Interviews
- Listening to One Story at a Time
- Context of Research
- History of Turmoil
- Narratives
- Researcher/participants‟ Roles
- Participant Selection
- The Rules of Disclosure
- Data Analysis
- Synthesized Dominant Themes
- Dominant Interview Themes
- Recurrent Themes
- Ethical Consideration and Possible Limitations of this Study
- Conclusion
- 4. NARRATIVES
- Maria
- Jane
- Sonia
- 5. RACISM
- The Impact of Racism in the Lives of the Participants
- Situated Race Relations in Country of Origin
- Racial Awareness Before Relocating to the U.S.
- Dealing with Racial Constructs Upon Arriving in the United States
- Navigating the Complex Racial Landscape of the United States
- Racial Interaction and Group Membership
- Racism in the Form of Invisibility
- Race as a Confounding Issue
- Contesting Static Racial Construct
- Breaking the Racial Conventions and Rethinking the Color Line
- Exploring Racial Interactions
- Situated Racial Awareness and the Construction of Difference
- Becoming Aware of Multiraciality
- 6. THE IMPACT OF SEXISM IN THE LIVES OF THE PARTICIPANTS
- Sexism as it Relates to the Oppression of Women of Color
- Sexism in the Form of Patriarchy
- 7. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PARTICIPANTS‟ DECISION TO CHOOSE A PARTICULAR RACE INDICATOR FOR THEIR CHILDREN
- Responding to Institutions‟ Request for Racial Labels for Multiracial Children
- Cultural Currency as a Factor
- Checking Monoracial Boxes for Multiracial Children
- Racial Heritage Pride as a Racial Identity Determinant
- The Impact of Racial Indicators on the Educational Experience of Multiracial Children
- Awareness of Self Racial Identity as Result of Having Multiracial Children
- 8. DISCUSSION
- A Final Consideration
- Recommendations for Further Scholarship
- REFERENCES
- APPENDICES
- A Summary of Respondents‟ Information
- B Participant Data Sheet
- C Survey
- D Interview Procedure
- E Interview guide – English
- F Interview Guide –Spanish
- G Participant Informed Consent
Read the entire dissertation here.