The Biracial Population and Personal Identity - 2260 Words

In today’s society the high influx of interracial marriages between Black and White individuals has resulted in the biracial population increasing significantly over the past 30 years (Roth, 2005). According to the 2010 census, the number of American children that categorize themselves as biracial has increased to 4.2 million, making it the quickest emergent youth group in the United States (Census, 2010). This has led to interest in the biracial population; recent literature has shown that amongst many studies, â€Å"individuals perceive the relationship between their mixed parentage and their self identity differently† (Rockquemore Brunsma, 2002). This is significant in the area of child development and family studies because self-identity†¦show more content†¦Although this study furthers the understanding that the process of racial identity formation in biracial children may begin within the family it does fall short addressing some issues. By using Census data researchers could not foresee if the racial categories that were opted by families changed over time. Also this study lacks discourse on the influence that the factor of appearance can have on shaping racial identity in biracial children. To further explore the various ways biracial people understand their racial identity Rockquemore Brunsma (2002), suggested that there is a multidimensional model for biracial identity, with biracial individuals creating numerous ways of understanding their racial identity. According to this model, biracials can choose to racially identify exclusively with one of their parents, that is they see themselves as exclusively White or exclusively Black. The border identity option is when individuals choose to blend their dual heritage and categorize their racial identity as exclusively biracial. The protean identity option suggests that biracials have multiple choices and can move freely between black, white, and biracial identities. They use whatever racial identity seems suitable depending on the situation/context. The last option identified by the multidimensional model is transcendent identity. Biracial who have a transcendent identityShow MoreRelatedSelf Identification : Impact On Trait Anxiety, Social Anxiety And Depression1245 Words   |  5 PagesBiracial Self-Identification: Impact on Trait anxiety, social anxiety and depression is a journal article that discusses the causes of social anxiety and depression amongst biracial individuals. This scientific study was designed to determine if the ethnicity that biracial individuals chose to identify themselves as impacted their psychological test scores. This study was also designed to observe if the pressure from other individuals of which race is accepted upon a biracial person causes high orRead MoreMultiracial Families : Multiracial People1174 Words   |  5 PagesCompared to Single race individuals, multiracial people have a wider variety of ways to define their ethnic identity. For example, a multiracial person who has two or more races could choose to identify exclusively as one race, or identify with both groups. Another option would be to go beyond the standard individual race options and identify a s â€Å"multiracial† a category that defines ethnic characteristics in terms of the shared experiences of people who are multiracial, as distinct from individualRead MoreDifferences Between Multiracial And Single Race Development1762 Words   |  8 Pagestheory. It takes language development, the development of an identity, and the interactions with society in consideration when comparing biracial and monoracial peoples. At the end of this research period, it was found that those of multiple ethnic backgrounds had a general advantage in many different areas when compared to those of a single race. Differences in Multiracial and Single-Race Development The Multiracial population within America is a rather large and, in terms of psychologyRead More The One-Drop Rule2273 Words   |  10 PagesThe growth in the multiracial population in the United States of America since the 1970’s has greatly increased and is continuing to increase. Although the number of biracial and multiracial Americans is relatively small to the total population at 5 million, the multiracial population is growing at a rate of ten times faster than that of the White population (Stuckey 2008). These facts weren’t officially known until the United States government’s verdict to allow individuals to claim multiple racesRead Moreculture diversity1404 Words   |  6 Pagesrelate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? Trends in immigration will continue to shape the demographics of the United States. What will the U.S. population look like in the year 2050? Why do you think so? What challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? What are the benefits of such a diverse society? How can we foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism inRead MoreInterracial Relationships1553 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica has had a long history of racism. This fact is more easily understood if racism is understood for what it really is. It is more than just personal hatred. Racism is the â€Å"belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics† (What is Racism). The 21st century has brought a lot of changes to the American society. Nevertheless, racism still exists owing to the truth that itRead MoreMulticultural Counseling Is Becoming A Imperative As A Part Of Counseling Professional Essay2184 Words   |  9 Pages​Multicultural counseling is becoming more imperative as a part of counseling professional’s training and education due to the continuing increase of diversity within our population (Sue Sue, 2016). The European Western frame from which counseling professionals have based their practices on, are not adhering to the different cultures and how different cultures respond to these practices. Each person belonging to a different culture can often respond negatively to the non-cultural specific practicesRead MoreMixed Culture And Mixed Race Identity970 Words   |  4 PagesThis section seeks to understand how mixed race individuals’ social identities are shaped by their multiracial heritage by focusing on the growing body of research on development of mixed race identity in a multicultural society. In contrast to traditional, monoracial models of social identity development, a multiracial approach has been necessitated by the expansion of globalization and interracial relationships (Kellogg Liddell, 2012, p. 525). In Paragg’s (2017) study â€Å"What are you?†: Mixed raceRead MoreDiversity and Difference in Early Childhood Essay1148 Words   |  5 PagesTOPIC: Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education Personal interest: My first awareness of racial identity and diversity occurred when I was in Year 3. Having being raised acknowledging acceptance of people of racial or cultural difference my thoughts of children of colour were positive and impartial. However, one day a boy in my class of Sri Lankan descent got into trouble with another student, but only the Sri Lankan boy was asked to go to the principal’s office. During our lunchRead MoreThe Poston Biracial Identity Development Model1742 Words   |  7 PagesPersonally I feel that I identify myself within the Poston Biracial Identity Development Model. This model is focused for individuals that identify with multiple racial or ethnic groups. The stages of this model are the personal identity stage, choice of group categorization stage, enmeshment/denial stage, appreciation stage, and the integration stage. The personal identity stage is when an individual is independent of race or ethnicity. When I was in elementary school probably around 5 or 6 years