Mixed Race Studies

The making of a middlerace: the social politics surrounding Black-White interracial marriages and Black White biracial identity

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois
May 2008
253 pages

Yoftahe K. Manna

Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Communication Studies

In an attempt to uncover the social politics surrounding Black-White interracial marriages and Black-White biracial identity, this thesis investigates outsiders’ and insiders’ perspectives on the issues. Black and White participants of the study reported positive attitudes toward Black-White interracial marriage, while they reported negative attitudes toward Black-White biracial individuals. No statistically significant differences were found between Blacks and Whites in attitudes toward Black-White interracial marriages and Black-White biracial identity. No statistically significant differences were found between men and women, either. The insiders’ reports, however, contradicted these findings. Both Black-White interracial couple and Black-White biracial adult participants of this study reported that society’s (Blacks’ and Whites’) attitudes toward them were negative. Findings are discussed and ideas for future studies forwarded.

Table of Contents

• Contents page
• Acknowledgments
• Abstract
• Foreword
• Chapter One: Review of the Literature
  • Introduction
  • BIack-White interracial marriage
  • Black-White intermarriages: Historical backgrounds
  • Interracial marriages on the rise
  • Intermarriage motivations
  • Challenges, discrimination, and stereotypes
  • Interracial marriages: Pathological?
  • Attitudes toward, and acceptance of, interracial marriages
  • Attitudes toward biracial identity
  • Black-White interracial marriages: Implications
  • Racial identity and Black-White biracial individuals
  • Implications of biracial identity
  • Role of environment and social support for biracial individuals
  • Implications of biracial identity
  • Social politics surrounding interracial marriage
  • Social politics surrounding biracial identity/Social stigma
  • Role of communication
  • Research importance
  • Symbolic interactionism and social constructionism
• Chapter Two: Attitudes toward Black-White Interracial marriage and Black-White biracial identity
  • Introduction
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Procedure
  • Results
    • Attitudes toward Black-White interracial marriages
    • Attitudes toward Black-White biracial individuals/identity
  • Discussion
• Chapter Three: The Social Politics Surrounding Black-White Interracial Marriages
  • Introduction
  • Method
  • Findings
    • “Just another marriage”
    • “We are possible because of love”
    • Family’s attitude toward Black-White interracial marriage andrelationship with the interracial couple
    • Social attitudes toward and society’s relationship with Black-White interracial families
    • “Human”
    • “We have differences but not racial ones”
    • “God-centered”
    • “No challenges, but … “
    • Advantages and disadvantages
    • Comfort zone
    • Role of communication
    • “Support matters”
    • Upbringing and environment
    • “Better covered”
    • Race talk
    • “What we mean”
  • Discussion
• Chapter Four: Middlerace: The Social Politics Surrounding Black-White Biracial Identity
  • Introduction
  • Method
  • Findings
    • Racial identity
    • Challenges, advantages, and disadvantages
    • Attitudes toward Black-White interracial marriage
    • Attitudes toward Black-White biracial individuals
    • “Support matters”
    • Environment’s role
    • Middlerace
    • Role of communication
    • Race talk
    • “My box”
  • Discussion
• Chapter Five: General Discussion: The Social Politics Surrounding Black-White Interracial
  • Marriages and Black-White Biracial Identity
    • Introduction
    • Role of communication
    • Conclusion and ideas for future studies
• References
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C

Read the entire thesis here.