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An increasing number of children in the United States have two or more racial heritages. At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, over 9 million people identified as being two or more races. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2016 approximately 7 percent of the U.S. adult population can be identified as multiracial.
Children may recognize racial differences as early as 3 years old. Helping children feel comfortable in “their own skin” is an important part of healthy identity development. Perhaps not surprisingly, multiracial children may encounter some identity development experiences that children with one racial background do not undergo. Parents and adults responsible for the emotional and psychological well-being of multiracial children may be facing issues they never came across themselves.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Maria Root found that multiracial persons shared common experiences, such as being frequently asked by others, “What are you?” and racially identifying differently than their brothers and sisters. Other common experiences by some multiracial persons include being rejected by relatives because of their parents’ interracial relationships and receiving looks from strangers trying to figure out if they are related to their parents.
Monoracial parents and caregivers may not be familiar with the unique issues that their multiracial children face. However, psychologists suggest that family play an important role in the development of multiracial persons. Parents and caregivers can positively influence multiracial children’s self-concept and happiness by communicating acceptance of children’s self-exploration and self-descriptions. Racial identity is not static and typically changes over time and across situations.
Adults can communicate a positive and open environment about multiracial identity to their children by introducing and emphasizing:
1. Multiracial-affirmative stories, coloring books, and toys
2. Open-ended avenues for expression, such as creative writing, painting, and drawing
3. Positive aspects and strengths of being multiracial
4. Dialogue about race and listening supportively to any hurtful racial comments their children may have experienced
5. Multiracial role models and peers
As children get older, caregivers may also want to present and discuss Dr. Root’s “Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People,” a series of affirmations that encourage self-acceptance, integration of identities, and empowerment.
Each child is unique. Factors such as personality, physical appearance, and gender influence how children experiences their racial identity. Furthermore, what it means to belong to multiple racial groups means different things to different people, families, and cultures. Talking with your children about their multiracial identity as well as providing them with multiracial-affirmative resources can help them feel proud of who they are, both inside and out!
*Please note this blog post has been updated from a 2010 posting written on Child Development Connect; Permission to adapt this posting was granted from Dr. Anju Bhargava, the founder of Child Development Connect.
References
del Prado, A. M., & Lyda, J. (2009). The Multiracial movement: Bridging society’s language barrier. In J. L. Ching (Ed.), Diversity in mind and action (Vol. 1, pp. 1-16). Santa Barbara, CA: Praegar.
Miville, M. L. (2005). Psychological functioning and identity development of Biracial people: A review of current theory and research. In R. T.Carter (Ed.), Handbook of racial–cultural psychology and counseling (pp. 295–319). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Nadal, K. L., Sriken, J., Davidoff, K. C., Wong, Y., & McLean, K. (2013). Microaggressions within families: Experiences of multiracial people. Family Relations, 62, 190 – 201.
Pew and Research Center (2015). Multiracial in America. http://www.pewresearch.org/multiracial-voices/
Root, M. P. P., & Kelley, M. (Eds.), Multiracial Child Resource Book (pp. 34-41) Seattle, WA: Mavin Foundation.
