Summary: This article is about a study done using data from the Add Health study waves one and three to determine how multiracial and monoracial adolescents identify. It has been shown that white ethnics are better able to determine which ethnicity they wish to identify with, while non-white minorities typically are kept in certain racial/ethnic categories due to societal pressure and because of their physical appearance. Throughout history, how people were identified has also changed, as well as how they were treated. This study mainly focuses on black-white, Asian-white, and Native American-white multiracial groups and how factors affect the change in the racial identity of those individuals over time. Most black-whites identify with their
…show more content…
When the RAETT survey was done, the wording of the question determined how people identified themselves but did not explain why they did so. In another study, adolescents answered the race question differently if they were at home or in school, which skewed the data about what percent of multiracials there were. This study tries to address problems in the last studies done (influences of time on an individual’s racial/ethnic identity and the heterogeneity of multiracial subgroups.) Changes in racial identity are exceptionally high for multiracials, and relatively stable for single race groups, with the exception of Native Americans. Socioeconomic status is an important consideration for how consistently individuals identify. One prominent pattern is the stability of racial identification for whites, blacks, and Asians, and the unstable racial identification pattern among multiracials. In single-race groups, this change is typically toward a multiracial identity (rather than a single-race identity). The most interesting finding, and the most relevant to census analyses, is how multiracials shift their identity. Typically, they tend to switch to identifying as a …show more content…
There had been a large surge in people who identified as Native American, but in this study by the time the third wave came around those people had identified as white. I think that when a person has typical “white” features it is easier to blend into the majority, and because of white privilege they often do so. The other thing I found interesting is that black-white women had feelings of self-doubt and body image issues, while black-white men did not and saw criticism as jealousy. The reason I find this a bit comical is that in today’s social world, having “black” features (big butt, big lips, darker skin color) is seen as attractive, but only on women already seen as “white” (I’m talking to you Kylie Jenner). Another thing I find funny is that many white people claim Native American ancestry, but only as something to flaunt rather than take pride in and talk about issues affecting Native Americans. So basically, I think ethnicity is less symbolic for whites and more of a fad or fashion that they can try on when they feel it is convenient to them. The reason this makes it difficult for multiracials is because they see a culture that puts down the side of them that is a minority, while also using parts of the minority to advance the majority. They are being pulled in two different directions and are often excluded from both spheres, because they are never
When the RAETT survey was done, the wording of the question determined how people identified themselves but did not explain why they did so. In another study, adolescents answered the race question differently if they were at home or in school, which skewed the data about what percent of multiracials there were. This study tries to address problems in the last studies done (influences of time on an individual’s racial/ethnic identity and the heterogeneity of multiracial subgroups.) Changes in racial identity are exceptionally high for multiracials, and relatively stable for single race groups, with the exception of Native Americans. Socioeconomic status is an important consideration for how consistently individuals identify. One prominent pattern is the stability of racial identification for whites, blacks, and Asians, and the unstable racial identification pattern among multiracials. In single-race groups, this change is typically toward a multiracial identity (rather than a single-race identity). The most interesting finding, and the most relevant to census analyses, is how multiracials shift their identity. Typically, they tend to switch to identifying as a …show more content…
There had been a large surge in people who identified as Native American, but in this study by the time the third wave came around those people had identified as white. I think that when a person has typical “white” features it is easier to blend into the majority, and because of white privilege they often do so. The other thing I found interesting is that black-white women had feelings of self-doubt and body image issues, while black-white men did not and saw criticism as jealousy. The reason I find this a bit comical is that in today’s social world, having “black” features (big butt, big lips, darker skin color) is seen as attractive, but only on women already seen as “white” (I’m talking to you Kylie Jenner). Another thing I find funny is that many white people claim Native American ancestry, but only as something to flaunt rather than take pride in and talk about issues affecting Native Americans. So basically, I think ethnicity is less symbolic for whites and more of a fad or fashion that they can try on when they feel it is convenient to them. The reason this makes it difficult for multiracials is because they see a culture that puts down the side of them that is a minority, while also using parts of the minority to advance the majority. They are being pulled in two different directions and are often excluded from both spheres, because they are never