Beyond FACTS: Debunking Multiracial Myths
Doris Wright Carroll, a Counseling and Education professor at the University of Kansas, published a paper with the National Association of School Psychologists in May 2004 entitled Multiracial Children: Practical Suggestions for Parents and Teachers. Carroll starts by identifying “the myths or illusions that surround multiracial children and their learning.” I found it refreshing to see the following listed as myths that need to be challenged:
Myth #1: Multiracial children have low self-esteem.
Myth #2: Multiracial children are confused about or have ambiguous feelings regarding racial identity.
Myth #3: Multiracial children prefer one racial identity self-designation.
When I meet with book clubs to discuss my novel and the issues it covers, most readers ask about the impact of “biracial,” “mixed-race,” or “multiracial” labels on my children. There are those who still believe children in mixed-race families are impaired in some way, but I disagree. As long as a child has all the basic necessities and is loved and made to feel secure, he or she is going to flourish. Skin color and the differences inherent in one’s own family may make someone stand out, but that should be okay. (In an ideal world, such differences would be celebrated!) Special challenges faced by children in mixed-race families ought to be considered opportunities for discussion and awareness rather than dreaded as difficult and unfortunate obstacles.
Doris Wright Carroll also offers suggestions for parents and teachers concerned with the education of multiracial children. Most are simple as well as practical; all are based on respect for differences and awareness of the possibility that some multiracial children may have special concerns regarding identity. Let’s not assume all multiracial children have identity issues, though. Let’s not assume anything about anybody and we’ll all be better off.
Myth #1: Multiracial children have low self-esteem.
Myth #2: Multiracial children are confused about or have ambiguous feelings regarding racial identity.
Myth #3: Multiracial children prefer one racial identity self-designation.
When I meet with book clubs to discuss my novel and the issues it covers, most readers ask about the impact of “biracial,” “mixed-race,” or “multiracial” labels on my children. There are those who still believe children in mixed-race families are impaired in some way, but I disagree. As long as a child has all the basic necessities and is loved and made to feel secure, he or she is going to flourish. Skin color and the differences inherent in one’s own family may make someone stand out, but that should be okay. (In an ideal world, such differences would be celebrated!) Special challenges faced by children in mixed-race families ought to be considered opportunities for discussion and awareness rather than dreaded as difficult and unfortunate obstacles.
Doris Wright Carroll also offers suggestions for parents and teachers concerned with the education of multiracial children. Most are simple as well as practical; all are based on respect for differences and awareness of the possibility that some multiracial children may have special concerns regarding identity. Let’s not assume all multiracial children have identity issues, though. Let’s not assume anything about anybody and we’ll all be better off.
posted by Sustenance Scout at 7:38 PM
3 Comments:
I think this is a great post. This topic needs to be discussed much more in the public forum Unfortunately, there are still many people with prejudice against biracial couples, and their usual excuse seems to be that they would feel bad for the children of such a couple. I personally have had more than a few discussions with people from my area (it's a small rural community) that still hold these beliefs. I am not multi-racial, but I firmly believe that all children face challenges in life, and that the idea that multi-racial children cannot thrive and find happiness in our society is a patently false one. Thanks for drawing attention to this.
my only problem is that biracial people tend not to recognize both of race.and lable or indentify themself with one race.either the race of the father or mother.I think they should celebrate and identify with both race.so instead of a child who is part white and black say i am black.They should find a way to identify with both the race of the mother and the father.because to only say you are black is to deny the other part of you.or to only say you are white is denying the black part of you.
Leo, I want to thank you again for your kind words of encouragement. I've had similar discussions, especially as a parent of children of mixed-race heritage.
Sranangbronkie, thanks for your post, too. My take on this (and I am not biracial; my husband is): a child's family and the culture in which a child is raised influence how a child chooses to self-identify. As the mixed-race population continues to grow, I think you'll see more biracial, multiracial, or multiethnic people choosing to identify with other mixed-race people who understand them and what they go through every day. I hope ultimately that all such people choose to celebrate their mixed heritages and no longer feel they're forced to deny any part of their families/selves. Thanks for your comment!
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