AM I ALONE?
The Prevalence of Biracial Children in
America
Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People
By Maria P.P. Root
I have the right………..
Not to justify my existence in this world.
Not to keep the races separate within me.
Not to be responsible for people’s discomfort with my physical
ambiguity.
Not to justify my ethnic legitimacy.
I have the right……….
To identify myself differently than strangers expect me to identify.
To identify myself differently from how my parents identify me.
To identify myself differently from my brothers and sisters.
To identify myself differently in different sitiuations.
Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People
By Maria P.P. Root
I have the right……..
To create a vocabulary to communicate about being multiracial.
To change my identity over my lifetime - - and more than once.
To have loyalties and identification with more than one group of
people.
To freely choose whom I befriend and love.
Multiracial Children and
Education
 Multiracial children not only have to deal with the
difficulties of childhood and family situations, but
they also must deal with identity issues and
concerns about being different.
 Multicultural education encourages children to
develop positive cross cultural attitudes,
perceptions, and behaviors.
Multiracial Children and
Education:
Importance of Schools
School professionals including teachers,
administrators, and counselors must be
aware of their own biases and prejudices.
They should seek out information from
books, the Internet, interracial support
groups, and discussions with interracial
families.
Multiracial Children and
Education:
Importance of Teachers
Teachers are in a position to positively
impact students with positive climates and
an accepting classroom, therefore creating a
sense of belonging.
Classrooms need to have an atmosphere of
trust and openness where multiracial
children can feel comfortable.
Multiracial Children and
Education:
Curriculum
Many aspects of the school climate make
multiracial students feel invisible and
uncomfortable: a lack of familiar visual
images in books and materials, no
interracial doll families; posters and
marketing and public relation materials.
Multiracial Children and
Education:
Curriculum
 Content of the curriculum materials for schools
should include the history and contributions of
multiracial Americans since colonial times.
 Curriculum should present information on and
show pictures of people of many racial and ethnic
groups, including those of mixed heritage and
address directly the history of racism against
groups of people, including the multiracial
population.
Myths and Realities
 Myth:
Biracial children are
messed up.
• The prevailing myth is
that biracial children in
birth, foster , adoptive and
blended homes suffer
greatly.
 Reality:
Biracial children are, as a
group, as successful as
other children.
• Because biracial children
combine genes from two
isolated groups, they show
a wide range of mental
ability, as well as physical
characteristics.
Myths and Realities
 Myth:
Given a choice, biracial
children choose a
minority identity.
 Reality:
• Because society does not
recognize biracial
children, the assumption is
that children from
interracial marriages all
identify with the minority
community and view
themselves as minorities.
• While many multiracial adults
do identify solely with the
minority community –
especially those over 30- there
is a movement in colleges
around the country of
multiracial students exploring
their heritage.
Multiracial students
are exploring their
total heritage.
“Are you black or are you white
– I can’t tell”
• Young children spend a lot of time and
energy comparing themselves to others,
understanding how they fit into the family
and school, and deciding about their
identity.
• During early childhood is usually when
biracial children begin to ask about their
identity.
“Your daddy’s white and your mother’s
black, so what are YOU?”
• Sometimes these questions are triggered by
prejudicial statements about the way they
look.
• These questions are very natural, since
young children are trying to find out about
their world, and how they fit into it.
The Teacher’s Reaction
• As teachers, we should help young biracial
children respond to these questions, find out
who they are, and help them feel good about
being biracial.
• This is the age when help identity starts,
which is why it is so critical to support this
exploration.
Stereotypes of Biracial Children:
A Personal Narrative
“I have constantly been asked what
problems I have, being biracial. Each time I
have been lucky enough to answer that I
have no problems.”
“It is very frustrating to me when everyone
seems to expect me to have problems just
because of my race.”
Stereotypes of Biracial Children:
Too Normal?
“I have been turned down by many
interviewers simply because I am too normal.
Why can’t we let everyone know that biracial
people are just like people of all other races:
Why can’t they know we are normal?”
“It is easier for society to think that people
who are different have problems, that to accept
them as normal.”
Lost Poem
of Langston Hughes
My old man’s a white old man
And my old mother’s black.
If ever I cursed my white old man
I take my curses back.
Lost Poem
of Langston Hughes
If ever I cursed my black old mother
And wished she were in hell,
I’m sorry for that evil wish
And now I wish her well.
Lost Poem
of Langston Hughes
My old man died in a fine big house.
My ma died in a shack.
I wonder where I’m going to die,
Being neither white nor black?
Biracial Celebrities
• Mariah Carey
Singer/actress/
songwriter
Biracial Celebrities
• Tiger Woods
• Played on the
PGA Golf
Tour
Biracial Celebrities
• Halle Berry
• Former Miss
Ohio
• 1st runner-up in
the Miss USA
pageant
• Model/Actress
Weblinks and Articles
• http://www.csbc.cncfamily.com/page6.html
• This article discusses the negativity associated
with being biracial and how to advocate for
biracial children.
• http://www.csbc.cncfamily.com/page7.html
• This article discusses the testimony of a biracial
teen and her thoughts and feelings on being
accepted in a predominantly white community.
Weblinks and Articles
• http://www.csbc.cncfamily.com/page8.html
• This article provides information on the struggles
of a young biracial child and suggests how
educators can help these students.
• http://www.csbc.cncfamily.com/page9.html
• This article discusses the common myths that are
associated with biracial children and the realities
of these assumptions.
Weblinks and Articles
• http://www.geocities.com/ecugrad02/EDUC6001
multandeduc.htm
• This article stresses the importance and basis of
multicultural education and gives advice for
education professionals who teach biracial
children.
• http://www.nationalreview.com/14july97/feature.h
tml
• This article discusses the current increase in
biracial marriages, which will result in a larger
population of biracial children in our schools.
Weblinks and Articles
www.parenthoodweb.com/articles/phw1631.htm
• This article discusses the challenges a young
biracial family must deal with and how they are
coping with the hate messages that are spreading
throughout their neighborhood.
http://www.biracialkids.org/
• This article discusses the civil rights of minority
groups and the movement of NAEYC to serve
children from diverse families.