Mixed Race Studies

Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong

Zondervan (an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
2011-09-13
224 pages
Paperback ISBN: 9780310396192

Joan Steinau Lester

Book Summary

Nina never thought about being biracial until her parents divorced. Now it feels like everyone is forcing her to choose her identity, and in her hometown of Los Angeles, racial tensions flare. Conflicted and alone, Nina turns to the story of her ancestor who escaped slavery, hoping to find wisdom and direction while also learning who she truly is.

About the Book

Identity Crisis.

As a biracial teen, Nina is accustomed to a life of varied hues—mocha-colored skin, ringed brown hair streaked with red, a darker brother, a black father, a white mother. When her parents decide to divorce, the rainbow of Nina’s existence is reduced to a much starker reality. Shifting definitions and relationships are playing out all around her, and new boxes and lines seem to be getting drawn every day.

Between the fractures within her family and the racial tensions splintering her hometown, Nina feels caught in perpetual battle. Feeling stranded in the nowhere land between racial boundaries, and struggling for personal independence and identity, Nina turns to the story of her great-great-grandmother’s escape from slavery. Is there direction in the tale of her ancestor? Can Nina build her own compass when landmarks from her childhood stop guiding the way?

How Policies Can Address Multiracial Stigma

Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
First published 2020-10-01
pages 115-122
DOI: 10.1177/2372732220943906

Diana T. Sanchez, Professor of Psychology
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick

Sarah E. Gaither, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Duke Identity and Diversity Lab
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Analia F. Albuja, National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow
Duke Identity and Diversity Lab
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Zoey Eddy, Research Assistant
Self and Social Identity Lab
University of California, Santa Barbara

Twenty years ago, Multiracial Americans completed the U.S Census with the option to indicate more than one race for the first time. As we embark on the second anniversary of this shift in Multiracial recognition, this article reviews the research related to known sources and systems that perpetuate Multiracial-specific stigma. Policy recommendations address the needs and the continued acknowledgment of this growing racial/ethnic minority population.

Key Points

• Multiracial individuals represent a growing majority in the racial/ethnic minority population
• Multiracial people encounter specific forms of stigma
• Multiracial-specific stigma uniquely impacts the psychological and physical health of Multiracial individuals
• Policies can address Multiracial-specific stigma (e.g., more detailed assessments of race/ethnicity, revisiting Multiracial language, Multiracial-specific health interventions)
• Recommended policy changes will make better use of human capital for everyone by increasing accuracy in population estimates used to distribute educational and health care resources, as well as improving health care delivery (e.g., transplant matching).

Read the entire article in HTML or PDF format.

Volunteers Needed for Research Study on Multiracial Individuals

2020-10-06

Jessica Harris, M.A., Clinical Psychology Psy.D. Graduate Student
California School of Professional Psychology
Alliant International University, Fresno, California

I am a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University-Fresno inviting you to participate in a research study to understand the experiences of multiracial individuals.

To participate in the study, you must:

• Be 18-years of age or older.
• Have biological parents from different racial/ethnic minority backgrounds (e.g., Black, Asian, Latinx, Native American). Or, at least one biological parent must belong to two different racial/ethnic minority groups.
• Currently live in the United States.

The entire online survey is anticipated to take 15-20 minutes to complete. Please note the survey does ask about multiracial experiences, participation is entirely voluntary, and that you are free to withdraw at any time. If you have any questions concerning the research study, please email me at jharris2@alliant.edu, or my dissertation chair, Dr. Jennifer Foster, at jfoster1@alliant.edu.

Upon completion of the survey, you will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to win 1 of 2 $50 (USD) Amazon gift cards. Providing your information for the drawing is completely voluntary.

The survey link is included here: https://tinyurl.com/mltiracial

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jessica Harris, M.A.