Download Vital Signs: Bi-racial Students in Higher Education

by
Blane Harding
Director of Advising, Recruitment, and
Retention
Colorado State University
211.4
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2.4
10.2
35.3
34.6
6.8 - Americans
Who Check
More Than 1
Box
Americans Who Check More Than 1 Box
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino American
Asian American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
White
 Individuals who are biologically or culturally from
two or more races, ethnicities or cultures
 Individuals with dual or multiple heritages; may
have dual-minority (e.g., Black-Latino) or
majority-minority (e.g., White-ethnic)
combination
 Frequently experience some form of rejection from immediate
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and/or extended family members
Anxiety regarding dual (or multiple) racial heritage
Internal conflicts due to having parents from different
racial/ethnic groups
Problems choosing relationship partners due to racial
complications
May experience oppression as people of color and by people of
color
Tensions with one or more racial group based on ambiguous
affiliation
Pressure to identify with only one group based on physical
characteristics
Racial Dissonance: The inability to answer the question, “Who is
my reference group?”
Marginalization: A sense of feeling connected to both worlds but
not a full member of either
 Identity formation in general usually begins in teenage years and
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lasts until early to mid-20’s
Racial/Ethnic/Cultural identification is a core part of selfidentity
Physical factors such as skin color, physique, facial and hair
features influence racial identification
Group status may influence desire for membership
Exposure to cultural customs increase knowledge of and
identification with a group
Positive relationships with both parents
Racial awareness may develop more slowly in biracial children
Access to multiracial peer group
Acceptance from others of the label “Biracial or Multiracial”
 Biracial role models
 Scientists have evidence against race as a
biological concept
 Greater genetic variability exists within
populations in skin color, eye color and hair
texture
 Race has strong political implications for
arranging hierarchical social order
 Caucasians have historically been placed at
the top, with Asians next, Native Americans,
and then Africans at the bottom
 Biracial individuals may internalize conflicts
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between groups
Groups of nearly equal status allow for greater
social and economic mobility, e.g., Asians &
Americans, increasing likelihood of
acceptance from both
White supremacy and institutionalized racism
may inhibit biracial identity development
The reality of group oppression is a unique
consideration for African descendants
Personal identity needs should be balanced
within political context
 Bicultural/multicultural: the ability to identify
with more than one culture
 Able to live in a satisfying manner within two
groups
 This ability preceded by strong sense of identity
 An option for everyone, not just biracial people
 Bicultural individuals may be successful in
more than one cultural group
 They may possess strengths in their ability to
handle conflict and stress
 Increased confidence from balanced identity
 Increased tolerance for ambiguity, change,
and diversity
 Considered “bridges” between cultural groups
 Leaders in social change
 Multiracial individuals have the right to self
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definition
Multiracial individuals must resist the oppressiveness
of choosing only one heritage group
The right to be complex, ambiguous, and to change
over time and situations
The right to claim membership in multiple heritage
groups
The right to prioritize membership with one group
The right not to justify cultural classification
 May experience a sense of being different (physical
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appearance, name, foreign birthplace, language, values
and beliefs of parents) - often asked by others "What are
you?"
May experience self as not fully belonging to any of the
comparison groups
May have difficulty incorporating two different heritages
into one identity
May experience racism from two ethnic groups
May have difficulty dealing with integrating two distinct
parenting styles and beliefs
May experience pressure from one parent to identify more
with his/her race that with the other parent's.
Often identify or over identify with one parent and
one racial group while developing ambivalence
toward the other parent. May feel embarrassed by
this other parent's race.
 May have feelings of guilt or embarrassment about
family and self-racial differentness.
 May have difficulty finding others who understand
their struggle (i.e. parents, peer, or friends).
 May experience social pressure to identify with one
group and label self as such (many black children
experience pressure to identify as "black" even if
they prefer to identify as "white" or "mixed").
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 May attempt to separate off aspects of
themselves in response to loyalty and
acceptance needs.
 May experience or exhibit the following
problems: poor academic achievement, off task
behavior, poor social skills, negative attitudes
about adults, social isolation, "chip-on-theshoulder" attitudes, aggressive behavior toward parents,
sadness and depression, intra-familial conflicts, substance
abuse, psychosomatic disorders, and suicidal ideation and
behaviors
 The 1990 census allowed Americans to choose
only one of five race categories. The ethnoracial pentagon. The 2000 count was the first
to let people choose more than one category,
increasing the number of race classifications
to 64.
 Nationally, just over 2 percent, or 6.8 million
of the country's 281.4 million people,
identified with more than one race. Of the 6.8
million, 42 percent, or about 2.9 million, were
under 18.
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Stage 5:
Conformity stage: prefer dominant cultural values over those
of their own minority racial/cultural group
Dissonance stage: growing awareness that racism does exist
and that not all aspects of minority culture is bad and majority
is good
Resistance and Immersion stage: completely endorse values
of their minority culture and reject dominant culture
Introspection stage: individual experiences conflict between
loyalty and responsibility to minority cultural group and need
for personal identity and autonomy
Integrative Awareness: inner sense of security, greater
flexibility, and strong sense of self-worth, confidence, and
autonomy. Individuals become bi-cultural/racial and support
all aspects of their identity.
 Stage 1:
 Stage 2:
 Stage 3:
 Stage 4:
 Stage 5:
Personal identity
Choice of group categorization:
awareness of difference and
dissonance
Enmeshment/denial: struggle
for acceptance
Appreciation: self-acceptance
Integration: assertion of an
interracial identity
Cultural
Attachment
Other Social
Identities
Choice of
Racial
Identity
Political Awareness &
Orientation
Early Experiences &
Socialization
Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People
By: Maria P.P. Root
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I have the right
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I have the right…
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Not to justify my existence in this world.
Not to keep the races separate within me.
Not to be responsible for people’s discomfort with my physical ambiguity.
Not to justify my ethnic legitimacy.
To identify myself differently than strangers expect me to identify.
To identify myself differently from how my parents identify me.
To identify myself differently from my brothers and sisters.
To identify myself differently in different situations.
I have the right…
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To create a vocabulary to communicate about being multiracial.
To change my identity over my lifetime –and more than once.
To have loyalties and identification with more than one group of people.
To freely choose whom I befriend and love.
 Update your forms – allow for “more than one box”
 Support a mixed-race student organization–
unique
needs not necessarily met by usual advocacy organizations
 Consider your questions –
 Why are you asking? Is it necessary?
 Would you ask the same question of everybody?
 What are the possible implications of your question?
 Be aware of the issues – deconstruct your assumptions about race
and identity
 Prepare for the changing demographic within the
classroom – new perspectives will shift classic discussions