Title
Abstract
This entry examines multiracial identity from each of the aforementioned perspectives, positing that classification entails more than individual claims and assertions; rather, the interactions between the state, multiracial groups, and personal decisions lead to a more nuanced understanding of the process of multiracial identification. The government plays a critical role in creating the "mark all that apply" (MATA) option on the census. The emergence and influence of multiracial activist organizations advocating for recognition of this population is significant now. Finally, there is considerable social psychological literature addressing mixed-race identity, focusing on the four largest pairings. Early research characterized this population as dysfunctional and pathological; however, current research posits that multiracial identity is fluid, contextual, and normal.
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
978-1-61069-854-2
Publication Date
2016
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2016, Greenwood. This essay first appeared in People of Color in the United States: Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health, and Immigration, edited by Kofi Lomotey, Pamela Braboy Jackson, Muna Adem, Paulina X. Ruf, Valire Carr Copeland, Alvaro Huerta, Norma Iglesias-Prieto, and Donathan L. Brown.
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Recommended Citation
Oware, Matthew. 2016. “Multiracial Identity” in People of Color in the United States: Contemporary Issues in Education, Work, Communities, Health and Immigration, edited by Kofi Lomotey et al. Greenwood Press.