Biracial students are the fastest growing subgroup at colleges and universities across the nation. Many of these students struggle to find where they fit in among their peers, families and communities. Parents are generally a child's first influence on how their children feel about their racial identity (Ingram). How a parent addresses their child's duel ethnicity can make or break a good self esteem later on in their life.
The majority of children born to a biracial couple feel pride in their mixed heritage (Ingram). At the same time they feel pride, they also feel a strong urge to fit in with both communities. A comment from a study done for the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension reveals how one college student feels their parents could have done better. "I wish I had a greater understanding of my Asian side. The majority of my time was spent with my white family and I feel very disconnected with my Chinese heritage. I don't look like my white family and I don't understand my Chinese family" (Ingram). This comment addresses the awareness of not being accepted by one culture or the other, leading to an uneasiness that often prevails among biracial students.
According to a survey by Family Relations magazine, 5.2 million individuals identify as multiracial (Allen). This is a 33% increase from the year 2000. Racial minorities include one third of the United States population and are in line to become the majority by the year 2042 (Allen). With more people than ever claiming duel ethnicity it is important to understand what hardships are being faced and how to overcome challenges before they become problems.
Carrie Evans, a white mother of three black children, explained the hard things she has been trying to teach her children, such as "having 'the talk' about what to do around police officers, how to deal with being followed in a store, what to do at school when someone calls you a racial slur and how to deal with people trying to touch their hair" are some of her examples. Evans hopes others in the community who are more aware of problems she may face will bring these things to her attention. She seeks to teach her children about the past by being open and honest about the hard things that happened to others. "We don't sugarcoat what happened with slavery and what is currently happening with civil rights. We talk about injustice and we give our kids confidence by showing them and teaching them about people who have and are currently fighting for justice" (Evans).
Families are the best support system, but often interracial couples lack support from extended family members. This can lead to higher conflict in marriages and families (Kreider). Extended family members could object to the race of the in-law and seek to discourage their loved ones from sharing traditions of their race with their children. Prior to marriage, race data is no longer collected by the vital statistics departments. This means data related to interracial marriages and families is difficult to obtain.
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Biracial families need to teach their children about possible racism, while reaffirming that being biracial is something to celebrate. One comment from a college student reminds us that racism is rampant, "my parents could have taught me more about racism before I experienced it at such a young age" (Ingram). Preparing our children for challenges they face is key to their success in a world filled with violence, hate crimes and ignorance. If our children feel confident in who they are they can face questions about their race with ease and humor. If they feel ashamed they might be more inclined to get angry and defensive.Blogger Jennifer Borget states, "As a mother of two biracial children, I have a thousand concerns swirling around in my head. In so many ways I want to (and do) shelter them. But ultimately I want them to be armed and ready for what lies ahead. I want them to have a better childhood than I did. I never want them to feel ashamed of who they are, or their background. And I want them to be ready to stand up for themselves when necessary" (Borget).
As Dawn Armstrong so eloquently stated on her blog lovedawn.com, "Anger, resentment and hate only come when you don't love someone enough to be phased by their suffering" (Armstrong). No matter our race we can all have the courage to stand up and defend someone who is being hurt because of bigotry. Educating ourselves on the hardships biracial families face is one step we can all take to overcome the negative feelings that lead to racism.
Works Cited:
Allen, Kawika G.E. et al. Racial Identity Phenotype and Self Esteem Among Biracial Polynesian/ White Individuals. Family Relations, Feb 2013, pg. 82-91.
Armstrong, Dawn. Love Dawn . Blog; lovedawn.com
Borget, Jennifer. Cherish 365. Blog; cherish365.com
Evans, Carrie. Personal interview. Feb. 1, 2018
Ingram, P.D. and Chaudhary, A.K. Self Identity of Biracial Children: What Role Do Parents Play? Journal of Human Sciences and Extensions, Vol 2, Number 2, 2014.
Kreider, Rose M. Interracial Marriage: Social Connection, Marital Conflict and Divorce. Census records, Aug. 2000.
