Mixed Race Studies

Scholarly perspectives on the mixed race experience.

Through in-depth comparative analysis of interviews, we identified three major stressors impacting the identity development of the mixed Mexican participants: monoracism, cultural distance, and pressure to authenticate one’s ethnic or racial membership. These challenges precipitated feelings of confusion, isolation, and exclusion. Participants described negative experiences embedded in monoracism or discrimination and pressure from peers as well as family members to identify with only one race or ethnic group. This ranged from getting inquisitive looks because of one’s ethnic ambiguous appearance (i.e., ‘‘What are you?’’) to being denied choice and forced to identify under a certain monoracial label (i.e., ‘‘You’re not Mexican!’’). In addition, we found that mixed minority participants (i.e., Mexican and Black) were frequent victims of interethnic and intraracial discrimination within their own families. This created numerous tensions within and between families and left participants feeling confused and hurt. Participants described getting harassed or ostracized by family members because of their physical appearance, which evidenced their connection to a different ethnic minority heritage. For example, Cierra, who is of mixed Mexican and White heritage, described how her mother frequently harassed her because of her dark skin complexion, which contributed to her overall negative self-image.

First real impacting negative self-image. I’m very excited to see my new baby brother, and I remember thinking how beautiful my mother (of Mexican ethnicity) looked holding this infant, almost like the Madonna and child, and as I tiptoed up to her, and I have to stand on my toes to look at my baby brother and I want to give him a kiss, and she pushes me away and tells me, ‘‘I hate you! You’re so ugly! You’re so dark and ugly!’’ So first impact, BAMB! (Cierra, Mexican and White).

Kelly F. Jackson, Thera Wolven and Kimberly Aguilera, “Mixed Resilience: A Study of Multiethnic Mexican American Stress and Coping in Arizona,” Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, Volume 62, Issue 1. (February 2013): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00755.x.

The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays

Posted in Anthologies, Anthropology, Asian Diaspora, Autobiography, Books, Health/Medicine/Genetics, Media Archive, Native Americans/First Nation, Religion on 2012-12-21 05:01Z by Steven

The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays

Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
2012-05-15
220 pages
5 x 8
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-936214-71-6

Tara L. Masih, Writer & Editor

Award-winning editor Tara L. Masih put out a call in 2007 for Intercultural Essays dealing with the subjects of “culture, race, and a sense of place.” The prizewinners are gathered for the first time in a ground-breaking anthology that explores many facets of culture not previously found under one cover. The powerful, honest, thoughtful voices—Native American, African American, Asian, European, Jewish, White—speak daringly on topics not often discussed in the open, on subjects such as racism, anti-Semitism, war, self-identity, gender, societal expectations. Their words will entertain, illuminate, take you to distant lands, and spark important discussions about our humanity, our culture, and our place within society and the natural world.

Winner of a 2012 Skipping Stones Honor Award
A Featured NewPages.com New & Noteworthy Book, February 2012
An Amazon Hot New Release, debuting at #2 on the essay bestseller list

Table of Contents

Foreword by Tara L. Masih
Introduction by David Mura
THE CHALK CIRCLE: IDENTITY, HOME, AND BORDERLANDS
- If Grandmother Had Married a Peasant Li Miao Lovett
- Fragments: Finding Center Sarah J. Stoner
- Giiwe: go home Christine Stark
AS I AM: LETTERS OF IDENTITY
- Bufferhood: An Autoethnography Emma Sartwell
- Valentine and This Difficult World Tilia Klebenov Jacobs
THE TONGUE OF WAR: A CLASH OF CULTURES
- Reflecting on Dragons and Angels Shanti Elke Bannwart
- Tongue-Tied Kelly Hayes-Raitt
- Tightrope Across the Abyss Shanti Elke Bannwart
THE TRAGEDY OF THE COLOR LINE
- A Dash of Pepper in the Snow Samuel Autman
- “Miss Otis Regrets” Mary Elizabeth Parker
- Signatures Lyzette Wanzer
EYEWITNESS: AS SEEN BY ANOTHER
- Winter Seagull Toshi Washizu
- Itam Jeff Fearnside
- High Tech in Gaborone M. Garrett Bauman
- Triptych: Paradise Gretchen Brown Wright
THE OTHER
- Assailing Otherness Katrina Grigg-Saito
- Fried Locusts Kamela Jordan
- Israel: Devour the Darling Plagues Bonnie J. Morris
THE CULTURE OF SELF AND SPIRIT
- Connections Betty Jo Goddard
- Palo del Muerte Simmons B. Buntin
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
- Intercultural Considerations
- Intercultural Connections
- Quotation Exploration
About the Editor, Tara L. Masih
Acknowledgments
About the Introduction Author, David Mura
Index of Contributors

Tags: Betty Jo Goddard, Bonnie J. Morris, Christine Stark, David Mura, Emma Sartwell, Gretchen Brown Wright, Jeff Fearnside, Kamela Jordan, Katrina Grigg-Saito, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, Li Miao Lovett, Lyzette Wanzer, M. Garrett Bauman, Mary Elizabeth Parker, Samuel Autman, Sarah J. Stoner, Shanti Elke Bannwart, Simmons B. Buntin, Tara L. Masih, Tara Masih, Tilia Klebenov Jacobs, Toshi Washizu, Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing

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