Perceived Benefits and Challenges of a Multiethnic-Racial Identity: Insight From Adults With Mixed Heritage |
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| Authors: | Jordan Soliz Sierra Cronan Gretchen Bergquist Audra K. Nuru Christine E. Rittenour |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Communication Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA;2. Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA;3. Department of Communication, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA;4. Department of Communication, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA |
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| Abstract: | The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the lived experiences of multiethnic-racial individuals (i.e., individuals with parents from different ethnic-racial groups). In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 adults from the United States with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds ranging in age from 18 to 52 (female n = 20, male n = 9). We identified a number of themes related to perceived benefits (e.g., pluralistic world views, stronger sense of self) and challenges (e.g., identity tensions, communal concerns) of having a mixed heritage. Findings are discussed in terms of four considerations for ethnic-racial identity of individuals with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds: emphasizing constellations of experiences, life-span and developmental considerations of identity, (mixed) ethnic-racial identity as constituted in interactions, and the potential promise of pluralistic world views. |
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| Keywords: | Biracial ethnicity multiethnic race |
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