Mixed Race Studies

Scholarly perspectives on the mixed race experience.

American Negroes were explicitly defined as hybrids of European, African, and in some cases Native American (then known as “Indian”) ancestry. As a result, among other things, skeletal and living Negro populations served as a historical record of social and sexual liaisons between blacks and whites in the United States. This particular biocultural interface was an integral part of framing studies that examined differences in skeletal morphology and phenotype between racial groups. At the same time, Negroes were also considered to be a biologically discrete racial group unto themselves. This “fact” justified the population being situated as an anatomical landmark of sorts for mapping and identifying distinct racial characters. This simultaneous construction of the American Negro as both a hybrid and racially distinct suggests that multiple definitions of race and understandings of racial difference were at work in constructing the American Negro as a research subject. This is not surprising when we consider that scholars involved in this work represented a variety of perspectives on human biological diversity. As such, this research can be considered a matter of “boundary work” in the midst of methodologies and subjects that cannot be easily or distinctly categorized (Lipphardt 2010). This also suggests that these studies must be considered within the larger context of bioanthropological interest in studying mixed-race populations to identify the source of biological change in humans. Scientists inside and outside of the United States engaged in research to determine whether or not this change occurred within populations by way of selection or solely by interbreeding with different groups.

Rachel J. Watkins, “Biohistorical Narratives of Racial Difference in the American Negro: Notes toward a Nuanced History of American Physical Anthropology,” Current Anthropology, Volume 53, Number S5, April 1, 2012. S197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/662416.

Student group IC Mixed discusses mixed-race experiences

Posted in Articles, Campus Life, Media Archive, United States on 2017-04-05 19:38Z by Steven

Student group IC Mixed discusses mixed-race experiences

The Ithacan
2017-04-04

Ashae Forsythe, Staff Writer

Sophomores Walt Martzen and Rianna Larkin listen intently to another IC Mixed member Feb. 22 in Friends Hall as they share personal stories of their multiracial backgrounds. Maxine Hansford/The Ithacan

In IC Mixed, if there’s one thing the students have in common, it’s that they can’t easily check one box for a race or ethnicity.

“When you can’t be put into a box, it causes inner turmoil for multiracial people themselves: ‘Where do I belong? I’m not this, I’m not that,’” said junior Luke Watkins, event coordinator for IC Mixed.

The new student organization creates spaces for people of mixed heritage to express their thoughts freely. Launched in February, IC Mixed aims to strengthen the sense of community among people who identify as mixed or multiracial through discussions, events and other programs…

Read the entire article here.

Tags: Ashae Forsythe, IC Mixed, Ithaca College, Luke Watkins, Rianna Larkin, The Ithacan, Walt Martzen

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Guest Commentary: Student searches for identity outside of race

Posted in Articles, Autobiography, Media Archive, United States on 2015-11-01 00:54Z by Steven

Guest Commentary: Student searches for identity outside of race

The Ithacan: Serving the Ithaca College community since 1931.
Ithaca, New York
2013-02-20

Derek Crossman

Senior Derek Crossman struggled to identify as a person of color living in a predominately white community. He argues that as the multiracial population grows, racial constructs should end. Shawn Steiner/The Ithacan

I learned I was different from my friends in gym class in 7th grade. My classmates joked that I was brown and called me a “nigger” and a “beaner.” It was the first time race ever became a factor in my life, and from then on I’ve been hyper-aware of my skin color.

Simply put, I’m a mix between my Caucasian mother and black father. It becomes complicated when ethnicity is involved. My father was born in Panama and moved to the U.S. in his teens, and my mother was born in the U.S. and is a mix of several European nationalities. That’s a great deal to consider for the curious person who asks about my heritage — I’m not easily categorized…

Read the entire article here.

Tags: Derek Crossman, The Ithacan, The Ithacan: Serving the Ithaca College community since 1931.

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Mixed Race Studies

Student group IC Mixed discusses mixed-race experiences

Guest Commentary: Student searches for identity outside of race

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