The Lines of Color Aren’t Always Clear

The Lines of Color Aren’t Always Clear Linda Ueki Absher Portland State University Library

Overview • Multiracials: is there a definition? • Who are they? • History and Stereotypes • Major Research Topics • Issues regarding research and access • Resources • Print/Online • Web/Web 2.0

Multiracials: A Definition? • US Census: technically no “multiracial” or “biracial” category “Instead of allowing a multiracial category…. the OMB adopted the Interagency Committee's recommendation to allow respondents to select one or more races when they self-identify” • Has never used the same race categories for more than three consecutive censuses

Multiracials: Who Are They? • 2.4% of the U.S. population • Mostly from Generation Y (5-24) • 42% of multiracials are under 18 • Might be due to changing attitudes towards identity • Second Largest Group? Baby Boomers! • Most common identification? • White and another race

Who Are They? (continued) • Location: 40% live in the West • Live in large metro areas in large, diversely populated states • Education (25+ age group): • 22% -- Some college (21% total US) • 12.6% -- Bachelor’s degree: (15.5%) • 26.7% -- Less than an HS degree • Compare with total US %: 19.6%

History and Stereotypes • Then: • Tragic Mulatto • Sayonara/Love is A Many Splendored Thing • Evil (Temptress/Rapist/Violent) • Amerasian Orphan • Sage/Mystic (Native American) • Now: • Beautiful/Exotic (models, celebrities, etc) • Sexual • Sad and Confused – Tragic Mulatto redux

The Reality Images courtesy of Kip Fulbeck: http://www.seaweedproductions.com/hapa/default.htm

Major Research Topics • Identity • Intersection with other identities (gender, class, age, etc.) • “Passing” and appearance issues • History/Politics • Categorization, census, laws, etc. • Adoption • Families • Relationships

Interracial Studies Research: The Poor Stepchild • Not a separate field of study • Usually subsumed under other fields • Works clustered mostly in the Social Sciences • Sociology, Psychology, Social Work, Education, etc. • Fiction/Memoirs • Juvenile Literature

Interracial Studies Research • The Bible: Multiracial America : a resource guide on the history and literature of interracial issues / Karen Downing, et al

As a Field of Study…. • New field of research • Most published within last 15-20 years • Difficult to locate materials using traditional library tools • Inconsistent terminology • LC Subject Headings & Classifications • Results often muddied with off-topic retrievals • Eurasian” – geology, etc. • “Interracial”– labor organizing, groups, etc. • Some materials may be biased, inaccurate and/or offensive

LC Subject Headings • LC Subject Headings: Old? Outdated? Offensive? “Children of interracial marriage” “Racially mixed children” ”Racially mixed people” • Outdated subject headings still linger in records • e.g., “Miscegenation”, “Mulattoes”, etc.

LC Classifications: The Poor Stepchild • Many resources located in the E184-E185.98 range • E184: “Elements in the Population” --“racial, ethnic and religious groups that have significance in the history of the US” • E185-E185.98: “African Americans” • HQ777.9: “Racially mixed children” • HQ1031: “Interracial offspring”

Notable Authors/Works • Maria Root • One of the earliest published scholars on multiracial identity • Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk about Race and Identity, Lise Funderburg • Half and Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural, Claudine O’Hearn

Databases • Dissertation Abstracts • Best resource re interracial issues as a distinct research area • No subject headings; ever-changing keywords • Ethnic Newswatch • Features articles from ethnic and minority presses • Not quite as strong as an academic resource • Subject headings have changed

Databases (continued) • PsycInfo • Subject Heading: Interracial Offspring • Not applied consistently • Masterfile • Excellent general resource • “Multiraciality”??

The World Wide Web • More defined topic • Hundreds of sites dedicated to all aspects of this topic • Less academic, reliable info • Loop: more mulitracial/biracial folks finding information and each other, the more information and interest generated.

Notable Websites - General Information • Stanford University: Research Quick Start Guide: Ethnic Identity • Resources By and About Interracial & Multi-Cultural People: www-personal.umich.edu/~kdown/multi.html

Notable Websites - General Information Stanford University: Research Quick Start Guide: library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/adams/shortcu/ethi.html

Online Journals: Interracial Voice Interracial Voice: www.webcom.com/~intvoice/

Online Journal: Multiracial Activist Multiracial Activist: multiracial.com/site

Organizations/Associations Association of MultiEthnic Americans (AMEA): www.ameasite.org

Organizations/Associations Project Race: www.projectrace.com

Organizations/Associations MAVIN: www.mavin.net

Organizations/Associations Swirl: www.swirlinc.org

Web 2.0 • MySpace! (http://myspace.com) • Several biracial/multiracial groups • mixedrace.com • Youtube.com • Several videos of Jen Chau of Swirl.com (“Addicted to Race”)

MySpace: Hapas http://groups.myspace.com/hapas

MySpace: Mixed Race http://groups.myspace.com/mixed

mixedrace.com

YouTube.com: Addicted to Race http://youtube.com/watch?v=TJ8WXxnN0TI

Conclusions • Traditional resources and avenues of research • Fragmented, inconsistent • Usually tacked on with another area of study • Growing interest evidenced by Dissertation Abstracts

Conclusions • World Wide Web • More resources begin appearing • Guides, associations, electronic lists • Creating more interest in the subject? • Web 2.0 • Explosion of interest • Demand will probably drive the development of information resources

Online resources and links: http://del.icio.us/absherl/multiracial Presentation: http://web.pdx.edu/~absherl/jclc/jclc.ppt Questions?

Thank You! Linda Ueki Absher: absherl@pdx.edu

The Lines of Color Aren’t Always Clear