Mixed Race Studies

Two halves, one American whole

The Columbia Spectator
2016-11-16

Luciana Siracusano

Halfie. That’s the endearing term I use to explain my ethnic and cultural heritage when people don’t know what to make of my facial features. My father is a third-generation Italian-Irish-American, and my mother is Korean and immigrated here in her 20s, so I’m half-Korean and half-Italian-American. While some people can tell right away, others have no idea—they think I’m either completely white or completely Asian, or they’ll ask. Their guesses about my heritage fall all over the ethnic, racial, and geographic map—which is to be expected, I suppose, when you’re the product of diverse genes.

Being half has put the quest for self-discovery and definition at the forefront of my life. People’s efforts to categorize me can be frustrating, since I have difficulty categorizing myself. It often involves sifting through labels and historical and political rhetoric that confuse my sense of identity. But ultimately, my mixed heritage has shaped how I define not only myself, but also what it means to be American.

People tell me, “You could never pass as an American,” or “You’re not really Korean.”…

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The Mixed-Race in-betweeners

The Columbia Spectator
New York, New York
2015-11-12

Keenan Smith

I am Mixed-Race. I am both Black and white. I am also American and have therefore been raised in a culture that seems to be constantly divided along racial boundaries, whether they are in campus diversity and inclusion programs or identity-based organizations, with little regard for those of us who fall among the shades of gray.

Regardless of how those of us on the grayscale identify, we are often forced by society to pick a side, whether it be on college applications or social circles. We are encouraged to choose only one lineage, to look at our racial background and choose which identity we will bear.

Because I am biracial, choosing a background has meant recognizing the fact that one of my racial identities is responsible for the oppression of the other. This internal struggle has been illustrated by current events like the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the church shooting in Charleston that killed nine Black brothers and sisters, the countless murders of Black women, men (both cis and trans), and gender-nonconforming individuals at the hands of our police force, and the protests organized by brave students at Mizzou and Yale. This tension has also impacted my personal life. For example, I’ve had to explain to my mother why racial “color-blindness” is harmful and that she shouldn’t take it personally when I complain about white people…

Read the entire article here.