Multiracial Identity: A Limitation or an Asset?

1. Multiracial Identity: A Limitation or an Asset? Rania Murr School of Education O&L 656/756 – Fall 2011 Student Development in College California has become one of the most ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse societies of our time. According to the 2006 census, people of color made up 55% of the population, and no single group holds an ethnic majority. Yet, very little research has been completed in college settings to identify and address the issues of such a diverse student population. What the experts say A Multiracial Student Account Kristen Renn (2000, 2003, 2004) conducted 3 studies examining identity development and outcomes of multiracial students in colleges and came up with her own ‘Ecological Model’ of mixed-race identity. She uses Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model as a framework. In an attempt to understand my participant’s multiracial identity development, I used Renn’s ‘Ecological Model’ of mixed-race identity as a guideline to determine some of the possible factors and processes that influenced her development. With a growing multiethnic population in the US, interracial marriages and multiracial births have also been increasing. Mixed heritage individuals have been asserting their distinct identity by labeling themselves biracial, multiracial or mixed. Multiracial individuals face complex identity development process. It is of paramount importance to increase awareness about the specific needs of this population especially in college settings, which is a very crucial phase in developing one’s identity. (Evans 2010) • By the time she was in High School her parents moved to Livermore where she was one of a handful of non-white students she says “I never assimilated because I would always go outside of my city and go to Richmond or Oakland or San Francisco.” • In her family all heritages were represented and none of them was more dominant. The traditions were mainly American but the different cultures were represented in the diverse cuisine, art objects and music. Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model • At college, she was not very involved in campus life “I feel like a lot of my growth came from when I was in school.” She also adds, “being exposed to different people, the tremendous amount of responsibility you have to take as a student away from your family is very challenging. ” • She does not believe that the campus had much to do with her personal growth as she was not so involved in campus life and events. She that she did not find a place amongst the each of the identities that she is part of saying “I am very much different from each one of them but yet I am part of each of them.” • “The friends that I was closest with one was Pakistani, one was Chinese, one was Vietnamese and another was black and white, so I felt comfort being amongst many races.” • “I kind of looked longingly at the sub communities on campus and try to find myself in them and I couldn’t do that.” My objective is to identify and learn about the factors that influence the identity development of mixed-race students and to find out how they are able to reconcile the heritages they belong to in a society that categorizes individuals into single groups. I used Renn’s Ecological Theory of Mixed-Race Identity Development as a framework for my research. I found that this model was the most appropriate because it adopts an ecological perspective that takes into account the different changes that occur in the life span of an individual. I interviewed a student who identifies as multiracial and compared the findings from the interview to the theory model that Renn developed. • When asked about whether her siblings faced the same issues as they were growing up, she mentioned that she is the youngest among her 4 other sisters and the closest to her in age was 10 years older. They were raised in the 70s while she was raised in the 80s at an age where there were more interracial children. Time Person Process Context • Microsystems: face-to-face interactions; nonracial organizations • Mesosystems: Campus cultures; permeability of group boundaries • Eosystems: Policies, curriculum • Macrosystems: How students view race & culture and their roles in these systems as influenced by the existing belief systems • The key to development in is the increasing complexity of interactive process in which individual is engaged • The sociohistorical context • E.g. as of 2010, it is required by the Department of education to have a multi-race checkbox • Family background and heritage • Extent of cultural knowledge • Degree of experience with one’s own heritage and other cultural backgrounds • Physical appearance Identity Development Outcomes of Multiracial Students in Colleges She identifies with all the patterns that Renn discusses in her model except for ‘Extraracial’ identity dimension. As a Monoracial, she chose to enroll at UC Long Beach mainly because she was seeking to be among a stronger black community. She also identifies as Multiple Monoracial as she identified with all of the heritages she belong to and learned whatever she could about these cultures. She also identifies as a Multiracial and prefers to label herself as such. She talked about how comfortable she was among a group of people of different races and backgrounds. As for identifying with Situational, she does shift when between her different racial backgrounds in order to adapt to a certain situation or to meet the requirement of a particular program by checking the box she mostly feels appropriate for the setting. • Participant’s Profile • My interviewee • is a femalemultiracial student of African American, Japanese and Puerto Rican heritages; • was born and raised in San Francisco where she went to school; and • studied business administration at UC Long Beach.