Mixed Race Studies

Biracial Student Voices

University of Georgia
2008
140 pages

Willie L. Banks Jr., Associate Dean of Student Life
Cleveland State University

A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILISOPHY

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of biracial students with one parent of African American heritage attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) in the South. This study utilized a basic qualitative research design and was comprised of three phases: semi-structured individual interviews, responses to written prompts and a photo elicitation project. Twelve participants from two southern institutions participated in this study.

Through an analysis of data four themes emerged that encapsulated the experiences of the students in this study: 1) The Search – the pre-collegiate experience, 2) Finding a Voice – the collegiate experience, 3) Breaking Free – dealing with labels from society, and 4) Here’s Where I am for Now – the evolving identity of biracial students. These themes illustrated how complex and personal biracial student development can be. The biracial students in this study used their experiences with family and friends to define their identity. Once they reached college, their circle of friends, involvement in student organizations, and finding safe spaces on campus all contributed to the students defining and redefining their biracial identity. These experiences all contributed to a generally positive experience for students in this study. Additionally, participants in this study were able to define their place in society as a biracial individual and what role society should or should not play in their identity choices. Results from this study showed that biracial identity was a complex process that started before college and that continued through college.

The findings in this study have implications for student affairs professionals. The implications include: understanding that biracial identity is complex and situational, programs and services for students of color are needed and can be beneficial for biracial students, spaces on campus need to be welcoming to all students and student affairs professionals need to structure and provide spaces that welcome and support all students, student affairs professionals need to be cognizant of the different experiences biracial students have from other students of color and will need to ensure that biracial students are provided with the options and choices provided to all students.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• LIST OF TABLES
• LIST OF FIGURES
• CHAPTER
  • 1. INTRODUCTION
    • Statement of the Problem
    • Theoretical Framework
    • Research Questions and Methodology
    • Limitations of the Study
    • Significance of the Study
    • Definition of Terms
    • Summary
  • 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
    • Race
    • Biracial Identity Development
    • Bases, Borders, Identities, Patterns and Quadrants
    • Factors Influencing Racial Identity Choices
    • Multiracial Students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)
    • Recommendations from the Research
    • Summary
  • 3. METHODOLOGY
    • Design
    • Sample Selection
    • Site Selections
    • Ethical Considerations
    • Data Collection
    • Data Analysis
    • Validity and Reliability
    • Researcher Bias and Assumptions
    • Summary
  • 4. SEARCHING, FINDING A VOICE, BREAKING FREE AND HERE’S WHERE I AM FOR NOW
    • Participants
    • Presentation of Data
    • The Search
    • Finding a Voice
    • Breaking Free
    • Here’s Where I am for Now
    • Summary
  • 5. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
    • Analysis of Findings
    • Implications for Practice
    • Limitations of the Study
    • Recommendations for Future Research
    • Conclusion
• REFERENCES
• APPENDICES
  • A. Student Solicitation Email
  • B. Consent Form
  • C. Participation Information
  • D. Individual Interview Protocol
  • E. Directions for Written Prompt
  • F. Directions for Photo Elicitation

LIST OF TABLES

1. Five Patterns of Multiracial Identity
2. Placement of Participants in the Five Patterns of Multiracial Identity
3. Detailed Participant Information

LIST OF FIGURES

1. Representation of my Parents
2. Basil
3. My bedroom
4. BAM
5. The Black Hole
6. UoS Hall
7. Theater
8. UoS Stadium
9. Holding Hands
10. An Unquiet Mind
11. Camouflage

Read the entire dissertation here.

Biracial Student Voices: Experiences at predominatly white institutions

The Bulletin
Association of College Unions International
Volume 77, Issue 6 (November 2009)

Willie L. Banks Jr., Associate Dean of Student Life
Cleveland State University

Race is a complex issue for campuses to address. Often, universities tout their diversity by sharing statistics about the respective racial populations present within their study body, all boxes that can be neatly checked: African-American, Asian, Hispanic, etc. While “other” may be used as a catchall, rarely is a category for biracial or multiracial students included in this list. In the January 2002 issue of American Demographics, Alison Stein Wellner reported that 2.4 percent (approximately 6.8 million people) of the total U.S. population were living in households that included two or more races. In the Aug. 8, 2006 issue of Inside Higher Ed, Scott Jaschik indicated the biracial population was increasingly growing and attending institutions of higher education, requiring the need for research reflecting the experiences of these students on college campuses. Biracial students have been on campus for a number of years; however, their voice has not been adequately represented within the literature as Donna M. Talbot described in the 2008 book, “Biracial and Multiracial Students.”

April Jourdan commented in the 2006 Journal of Counseling and Development that the majority of research on minority populations on college campuses focused on monoracial ethnic categories (i.e., Asian, African American, or Hispanic) and not on the lives of biracial or multiracial individuals in higher education.

For many campuses, biracial individuals provide an interesting challenge and pose more questions than answers. Who comprises this population? What are this population’s needs? How can institutions provide resources and services to address those needs? Unfortunately, there is not one answer to these critical questions. Just as biracial individuals are complex and multilayered, so are their needs and experiences.

Earlier this year, a new study was conducted to examine the experiences of biracial students with one parent of African American heritage attending predominantly white institutions in the southern United States. The findings demonstrate some practical strategies that campus professionals can employ to improve the educational environment in which biracial students develop their identities.

Read the entire article here.