Multiracial Identities

Herb Jones & Jennifer DeLuna

Bi-Racial/Multi-Racial
At your tables please define/discuss what you think Bi-Racial and Multi-Racial means.

Quiz Time

Text book definition of Multi-Racial

Composed of, or having a mixture of, multiple races en.wiktionary.org/wiki/multiracial

Text book definition of Mono-Racial

Of

a single race (ethnicity) en.wiktionary.org/wiki/monoracial

Past

Interracial marriage has been fully legal in all U.S. states since the 1967 Supreme Court Decision (Loving vs. Virginia) deemed antimiscegenation laws unconstitutional, with many states choosing to legalize interracial marriage at much earlier dates:

2000 Census First Documented Multiracial Population 2.4% of General U.S. Population 6.8% of General U.S. Population younger than 18 years of age Among those who identified more than one race
93% identified as being of 2 races

72% of biracial people identified as being mixed with European heritage 20% of remaining respondents indicated that they were 2 minority racial groups

7% checked 3 or more races

2000 U.S. Census: Two or more races population

The Ten States with the largest population of residents that claim two or more races in 2000:

California New York Texas Florida Hawaii

Illinois

New Jersey Washington Michigan Ohio

2000 U.S. Census: Two or more races by city

City Total Population Rank Two or more Races Rank

New York
Los Angeles

1
2

1
2

Chicago
Houston Philadelphia Phoenix San Diego Dallas San Antonio Detroit Honolulu San Jose

3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 46 11

3
4 10 8 5 12 9 18 6 7

Present

Illinois Students Perspectives

Student One
Selling out/peer perception Not being able to explore all of their identity at once Pressure to choose

Student Two
Am I Asian/Latino enough to join ? People do not overwhelm me with questions I try to identify as much as I can with both of my ethnicities I don't know if people will accept me or fully embrace me

Student Three
it has been difficult to adjust I'm not quite sure where I fit in I am not more one thing than I am another People tend to see my face

Not truly being understood

Postons 5 Levels

Personal Identity Choice of group categorization Deniel Appreciation Integration

Roots 4 Resolutions

Acceptance of the Identity Society Assigns Identification with both racial groups Identification with a single racial group Identification as a new racial group

Future

Resources on campus and in community for biracial students:

Brainstorm current resources on campus for students who identify as Multiracial

How to advocate for those students

Create an action plan (3-5 steps) to make our environment more inclusive for Biracial students

Illinois Students Wants

University administrators to perhaps encourage the formation of RSOs geared the awareness of mulitracial students All of the university colleges can make it a requirement that students take at least one class that focuses on race and ethnicity. Have more classes that focus on multiculturalism.

Share your action Plan

Questions

Thank You for your attention!