Abstract This paper investigates the inherent problems that exist in families characterized by parents and stepparents of a biracial union or of a union that is characterized by diversity in terms of ethnic, cultural or religious differences. It also looks at diverse households headed by lesbian or gay parents. The paper analyzes the socio-cultural theories of Roland Tharp and the 'Spheres of Influence' as proposed in the work of Dr. Joyce Epstein.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Objective
Introduction
Conceptual Framework
Literature Review
Intervention
Outcomes
Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "It is clear that it is not possible to just 'ignore' the differences that exist in hopes that they become illusory or nonexistent because these differences are real and are dynamic in the lives of these children. What has been noted in this study to be of great importance is the active participation of the parents and stepparents in the daily activities and events that take place at school because as these parents integrate themselves more fully into the community they effectively place safezones into effect for their children and at the same time present a model for other parents and other children as to the appropriate behavior in the face of the differences that exist. It is not possible that these differences will merely go away but what is possible is that the community at large will become used to the differences thereby enabling the children to fully participate in the school and community events without having a brand upon them due to these differences in racial or culture."
Abstract This six-page undergraduate academic paper discusses what it is and what it means to be biracial in modern American society. The content focuses primarily upon the experiences of children of interracial marriages and the general perceptions of American society towards them.
Abstract This paper takes a look at the biracial relationships and families prevalent in the United States today. According to this paper, this is a result of the melting pot phenomenon whereby many people from varying backgrounds acquire a new label -- "American" -- which by itself indicates no cultural or racial heritage.
From the Paper "Biracial families have been a growing trend in the United States. During the first half of the 20th century such families were uncommon, in part because many states had laws against African-Americans and Caucasians marrying (Fobanjong, 2001). However, between the years of 1978 and 1992 number of children identified as biracial by the National Center for Health Statistics showed an increase of over 50%, from under 64,000 to over 133,000. However, some experts believe that number to be low, and in the 2000 Census, people identifying them as biracial made up about 2.5% of the population. Over 40% of them were children (Harris, 2002).
Some people believe that biracial families face significant obstacles that other families do not have to deal with. Some studies have suggested that biracial children struggle with racial identity, social acceptance, a tendency to be isolated, academic and behavioral problems, and doubts about what career path to follow."
Tags: african, american, chinese, caucasian, white, black
Abstract This paper discusses how author Ronne Hartfield is a biracial individual who was raised through one of America's most difficult time periods. More specifically, the paper explains that Hartfield bases her memoir "Another Way Home: The Tangled Roots of Race in One Chicago Family", on her's and her mother's experiences and that the novel was Hartfield's attempt to simply present her biracial family's history and prove that families such as hers lived in a positive existence despite racial hardships. The paper looks at how Hartfield constructs the argument that the scarcity of mixed race triumphs in public view gives America a biased opinion of biracial families. The paper also examines how Hartfield claims that family can play an influential role in one's life, and how her family and their home place come together to shape her identity.
From the Paper "In the prologue of Hartfield's book, Hartfield makes an argument about the scarcity of success stories by minority races during the race struggles in the first half of the twentieth century. She supports her argument by stating "What strikes me is the dearth of stories about the ordinary lives of the vast number of people of color who have occupied the zone of mixed race with ease and sanity for several generations," and further defends her argument by summarizing that "Narratives of emotional and social health in black families continue to be less available than stories supporting the idea that simply to be black in America is to be pathological." (XV). Hartfield is arguing that even though the American public can't read or watch the progression of minority families, their progression is taking place; thus, the reason for her memoirs. "
From the Paper "The study of biracial coalitions has usually focused on the ability of a minority populace to coalesce a majority voting bloc through a multi-racial alliance. Almost by definition, the smaller numbers of a minority group require that it organize such an alliance with other constituencies in order to be a competitive force in electoral politics. It is this electoral aspect of biracial coalitions as a party-in-the-electorate that has gained most of the academic attention. However, there is a second aspect of biracial coalition-building that often is ignored in the literature-that is, the actual impact of the biracial coalition as the party-in-government. Once a biracial electoral coalition achieves political power, is it able to achieve its policy objectives?
Thus, this study analyzes the political influence of..."
Many issues are examined in the pursuit of finding the most important influences on identity development in multiracial individuals. A reflection on this issue is given from personal experience.
Abstract A variety of sources are examined in order to find consistencies in what influences multiracial identity development. The paper explains that findings show a wide variety of factors that are linked to identity development in multiracial individuals. It concludes that multiracial individuals are as complex as the genetic differences among them.
From the Paper "Many authors have attempted to define how multiracial individuals develop their identity: specifically, which factors contribute most to this development. The topic of identity development among bi-racial individuals is being analyzed more often today due to the growing numbers of multiracial children being born in the U.S. I"ve often wondered to what extinct my racial identity was influenced by the fact that the parent most influential in shaping my thinking was a member of the dominant society. This parent was the financial provider and also a member of societies elite; male and white. Could this fact have influenced where I lived, the size of my home, the amount of education my father achieved (thus influencing my future educational achievements), the racial composition of the neighborhood that I grew up in, my choice of friends and my daily experiences" Was I raised differently than other biracial persons who were raised by a father of color, simply due to the fact that white males are privileged members of our society that have more control over their environments? If so, how did this difference help shape or determine how I later racially identified? Sue and Sue quote Bowles (2003) by stating that, "in a clinical study of ten families, when the mother is white and the father is black, daughters are more likely to identify with the mother's racial background: and when the mother is black and the father white, boys and girls will likely identify with being black. Why then, did all eight of my fathers children choose to identify themselves as multiracial instead of black" Assuming that my case is not unique, other factors more telling than same-sex parental identification must factor into identity development among multiracial individuals."
Tags:biracial, black, drop, ethnic, issues, miscegenation, race, rule, white
Covers issues concerning people of multiracial descent in the U.S. and the findings of the latest U.S. census as it relates to multiracial individuals.
Abstract The history and current demographics of the latest U.S. census are analyzed in order to demonstrate the changing face of America. Factors influencing this change go as far back as the birth of this country. Issues such as the creation and existence of the "one-drop rule" are questioned along with identity development concerns of multiracial individuals.
From the Paper "In 1967, in the Loving v. Virginia case, the anti- miscegenation laws were struck down and whites were then allowed to freely marry whomever they chose. (Wright, 1994) Since that time, a dramatic increase in interracial marriages has been seen between whites and other races. Due to the increasing number of interracial marriage and the obvious population growth of children who identify with more than one race, the U.S. Census Bureau made several changes to the race category. For the first time, this allowed people of multiracial decent to properly and accurately acknowledge their existence. Two percent of the U.S. population classified themselves as belonging to more than one race (6.8 million). White and "other" were the most common combinations (32%) with White and American Indian/Alaska Native at 16%, White and Asian at 13% and White and Black at 13%. Of the 63 possible combinations of racial categories, the four listed above make up 72% of persons of all multiracial persons. (AmeriStat, June 2001)"
Abstract The paper discusses the book "Clover" by Doris Sanders that portrays the life of a young black child reared by a white woman in a close-knit, African-American farming community. The paper considers the book's dominant themes of intermarriage and women and work and highlights Sanders' depiction of gender-specific expectations.
Outline:
Part One: Summary of Text
Intermarriage
Women and Work
From the Paper "Dori Sander's, Clover, is a thoughtful look at what it is like to be a young black child reared by a white woman in a close-knit, African-American farming community. The book explores Clover's own conflicting feelings towards Sara Kate and the difficult time Sara Kate experiences by virtue of being a white interloper in a protective and tightly-bound black extended family. Furthermore, the book looks at how Clover finds herself uncomfortably straddling two worlds that are divided by cleavages that extend beyond race. To wit, Sara Kate is well-educated and intelligent and white (and apparently fairly upper-class) and Clover's family is working poor, African-American, rural and not terribly urbane. In a real sense, the little girl is the embodiment of the fears, tensions and insecurities many children endure when thrust into biracial marriages in a society that has not yet embraced them."
Abstract The paper examines interracial relationships and discusses their advantages and disadvantages, whilst highlighting that one of the areas of greatest concern arising from mixed relationships is the effects on the children involved. In addition, the paper comments that people have become accustomed to and are no longer shocked by these relationships. On this subject, the paper includes unions between Asians, Hispanics, Blacks and Whites as well as any other group of people.
Outline:
Introduction
Historical and Traditional Information
Contemporary View of Interracial Relationships
Disadvantages
Interracial Dating Statistics
Summary
From the Paper "Interracial relationships come with many disadvantages and drawbacks and most of these are related to societal issues relating to prejudices against these types of relationships. Today's contemporary society, as evidenced in this research is much more open to interracial relationships than were previous generations. It appears that the biggest disadvantage to interracial relationships are the children which are born from these marriages and partnerships in that these children often do not feel either 'black' or 'white' or 'white' or 'Hispanic' and so forth."
Presents a statement of purpose for college admission by a student who describes living in a biracial and binational community on the border of the Rio Grande river.
1,005 words (approx. 4 pages), 0 sources, 2009, $ 35.95
Abstract This paper explains that the college admission statement of purpose is a declaration of the author's experiences, events and people who have shaped her life. Having grown up between these two distinct places on both sides of the Rio Grande, the author described having been exposed to the unique cultural and financial systems of Brownsville, a growing city of immigrants, and Mexico, a third world country. The paper underscores the influence of the author's grandfather who grew up on both sides of the border with family and relatives on each side.
From the Paper "I'm originally from Brownsville, Texas. Though vibrant in culture and character, it is one of the poorest cities in the country. It is comprised of about 99% Latin Americans, most the descendants of Mexican immigrants. Just like the borders that divide the US and Mexico, so too are there walls of separation between two groups of people inhabiting Brownsville. Those who have settled and acclimated seem to prosper and those who have recently immigrated seem to struggle."
Tags: patriarch advancement americanization, different worlds, mexican
The paper discusses the book called "The Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson and examines the relationship between race and class in America during the early 1900s.
Abstract This paper discusses James Weldon Johnson's novel "The Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man". The paper explains that the novel presents a story of a narrator, referred to as the "Ex-Colored Man" living as a white man. The paper further explains that this narrator was tossed between living as a black or white man since he is biracial from a black mother and a white father. However he attempts to live as a white person in order to escape the horrors of racism toward the black race. The paper considers what causes the narrator to live as a white man and whether, by doing so, he has totally abandoned his black culture.
From the Paper "The Ex-Colored man never achieves his childhood vision of greatness as a great black musician, but the Ex-Colored man does succeed in life as a white artist and becomes very wealthy. His idea to pass as a white man in society works. Even though he is embarrassed by the decision he makes, it still is not enough to change his mind to be a black man. He achieves great wealth and stardom, but I don't think he finds happiness because he still struggles with his identity. The Ex-Colored man still has questions he needs to answer. What is his classification? Is he white or is he black? Does the Ex-Colored man totally abandon his black culture?"
