The Nov. 18, 1993 issue of Time Magazine depicted what it called the “new face of America,” a computer-generated woman of many different races who represented the future of the United States.

The prediction is largely true today. Many U.S. residents, especially Californians, do not just have one racial background — African, Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern or Anglo-Saxon — but are often a mix of two or more.

There were 33.8 million multiracial people in the United States in 2020 — more than three times the 9 million figure one decade ago, according to a 2021 U.S. Census report. “The ‘in combination’ multiracial populations for all race groups accounted for most of the overall changes in each racial category,” the report stated. About 15% of Californians identify as mixed race, according to the Census and UCLA. 

In light of that, Cal State LA’s Race, Class & Gender in American Journalism class explored what it means to be mixed. Not one race or the other. But more than one, sometimes many.

The series explores how Southern California residents:

• Navigate their perceived race, and whether they project or choose to affiliate with one more than another.
• Grew to understand their multiple cultures and whether they feel torn between them.
• Deal with being part of a historically white supremacist country given their backgrounds, how benefitting from white privilege affects some mentally and emotionally and what it means to be considered “too white.”

As an example, Evan Hill Papadakis told our reporters that he felt pressured to choose between his Mexican or Greek background as a kid, but things changed as an adult, depending on the demographics of his workplace.

Another local resident, Andrew Burge, who is Belizean and Latino, told our reporters that he was mistreated by some in his own community as a child because he looked Black, even though like them, he spoke Spanish fluently. 

Do you choose your race or does it choose you?

One issue raised by mixed-race individuals and race studies experts is the question of how some people perceive them as one race and not the other — or how they as individuals self-identify more with one than the other.

For instance, some studies find that those who are Afro-Latino are more likely to identify as Black than Latino. In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center between Nov. 2019 and June 2020, results show one in seven, or 800,000 Afro-Latinos, do not claim to be Hispanic.

Almost half of college students with parents of different races identify as being multiracial, more than one-third identifying as a single minority race and 14% identifying as white, according to a July 2020 Annual Review of Sociology article.

The racial divide

Built on the backs of slaves after uprooting Native Americans, the United States is a historically white supremacist country. Efforts to eradicate racism and discrimination have helped, as did the country’s racial reckoning a few years ago. But the struggle continues and in some ways, no one feels it more than mixed-race individuals.

It’s one thing to feel bias from strangers, but some mixed-race folks interviewed reported discrimination from their own communities, even their own family members.

Sometimes they don’t feel like they are part of their community, especially when one of their racial backgrounds doesn’t seem to fit in.

About 19 interracial couples were interviewed for a study conducted by the Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal. They all expressed concerns about their biracial children facing racial discrimination from family members, friends, and society as a whole. Out of the 19 couples, five were Asian and white, six were white and Latinx, seven were Black and white and one was Asian and Latinx. Every couple surveyed all mentioned concerns about how to protect their biracial children from racism.

College students expressed similar concerns. About 635 multiracial college students ages 18-57 were surveyed for a study by the Journal of Family Psychology and practically all reported they have faced discrimination among family members, leaving them to battle depression and anxiety.

Longing for belonging

People who are mixed race often “have to deal with others questioning their racial background, which causes increased difficulty in forming a social identity, according to a study “Mixed” Results: Multiracial Research and Identity Explorations. Since people have multiple identities, it can sometimes feel lonely as they don’t belong to one identity.

The “Marginal Man” hypothesis posits that multi-racial individuals never truly assimilate into any one community, according to the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development. Eventually, they are pushed into the margins of society with no clear sense of belonging.

Dr. Nana Lawson Bush, chair of Pan African Studies, described the theory of “white spirit possession,” the feeling of African people who are traumatized under an oppressive system of white inferiority.

The original term for this is “double consciousness,” introduced by Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois in 1903. This is when a mixed-race individual has a feel of consciousness or spirit that is drawn from their minority culture or background, and that struggles or competes with another consciousness, a white agenda or persona.

A Pew Research Center study found 8% of multiracial adults reported being embarrassed or ashamed of their mixed racial background and 12% felt like an outsider. Those who have often experienced some form of discrimination for their multiracial background. “For example, those who say a relative or someone in their extended family has treated them badly are four times as likely as those who have not experienced this to say they have felt embarrassed or ashamed of being multiracial,” according to the study.

“When mixed race people are faced with discrimination, it is more difficult to find support systems that understand the conflicts,” Bush said.

Reporter Sasha Funes’ story for this project, “Embracing two cultures” includes this comment from her source, Aliya Reed: “I’m still developing relationships with each and every one of them but for the long term, it’s made me feel like I need to take a step back and not approach…too aggressively because there is that cultural difference in that way that I can’t relate to them so I want to respect that.” 

The Journal of Family Psychology conducted a survey in 2023 that asked 635 diverse multiracial college students about the discrimination they had faced from family or externally from others. It found 43% reported they have faced major discrimination from family members and externally and associated that with anxiety and depression.

Mixed race people also worry about feeling too white.

“‘Too white’ is when African people support the aims and agenda of an oppressive system of white inferiority above what is good and beneficial for Black people worldwide,” Bush said. “Thus, Black people who receive privilege are perhaps more likely to support systems and positions of white hegemony and chauvinism.”

Social stressors like racism and feelings of not belonging can have long-term impacts on one’s health. People of mixed descent have a higher risk of developing heart disease compared to people who aren’t mixed race, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

There has also been a higher rate of drug use in these communities: “17.4% of multiracial people reported illicit drug use, compared to 12.3% of Native Americans, 10.5% of Black people, 9.5% of White people, 8.8% of Latinos, and 3.1% of Asian people,” according to a 2014 National Survey of Drug Use and Health summarized in Science Direct.

Navigating mixed-race identities, possible solutions

By Ashley Romero

Mixed-race individuals often find themselves navigating a unique set of challenges in an attempt to establish their own identity and find a sense of belonging. 

With predefined racial categories put in place by society, many mixed-race individuals struggle with self-acceptance. Reoccurring themes that many mixed-race people struggle with are the impact of white privilege, societal perceptions, and self-identity. Multiracial people and even racially ambiguous people frequently experience microaggressions and the constant need to explain one’s cultural identity. 

“What are you?” “But you don’t look like…” “No, you can’t be that because those people…” All of these are examples of alienating remarks made by society. Having to constantly clarify or explain racial identity can intensify the feeling of otherness.

Identity starts as early as childhood. Adverse societal reactions, lowered self-esteem, and feeling marginal in two cultures can be risks that mixed-race children face early in life. Experts say a psycho-educational approach is beneficial when working with biracial children. Psychiatrists stress the importance of encouraging being mixed-race. Parents serve as the key example for children navigating mixed-race from childhood and through life. Psychologist Carlos Poston suggests in his Biracial Identity Development Model that parents acknowledge their child is of a different racial background and embrace it positively. This encourages the child to accept and discuss their own feelings and concerns. When individuals are not granted proper tools and resources to navigate mixed-race, they become victims to low self-esteem, feeling of being anti-social, and poor anger management. 

White privilege while also being mixed-race can have its own obstacles. Experiencing privilege because of skin color and also receiving micro-aggressions because of other racial backgrounds can be challenging to navigate. When privilege is granted, it is crucial to acknowledge it and use it for good. Promote equality and justice by recognizing not only the challenges but also the rewards of being mixed-race. Having open conversations about the daily struggles mixed-race individuals face can help bring awareness and spread acceptance for multiracial people. Building relationships and communities where individuals feel safe and accepted can empower communities, create unity, and promote inclusivity.  

A more profound sense of self is achievable when one embraces one’s cultural background. When open conversations are had, and there is an acknowledgment of the trials and rewards of mixed-race, people can establish their identities on their own terms. Identity, societal perceptions, and privilege are all part of the mixed-race experience but having the right tools to navigate is what matters.