"No one wants to be put in a box."
Photo : Philippe Put, flickr.com, CCBY2.0
I recently listened to an interview with Dr. Sarah Gaither, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University. Gaither is of mixed parentage and is a social and development psychologist studying racial identity and social interactions.
She shared the findings of mixed-race and bi-cultural research that showed that one of the primary sources of discomfort and psychological conflict for people is when they are forced to choose one of their racial groups as an identity. This can sometimes happen in an overt manner - for example when filling out forms that require a racial identity as part of personal information. According to her research, being constantly questioned about who you are or what you are can take an emotional toll on a person. This forced choice also can result in lower levels of self-esteem.
Yet there are a lot of multiracial people who do choose to deny a part of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. This can happen for a variety of reasons including differential access to resources or a racially-stigmatising environment.
This denial however is not necessarily permanent. Gaither explained, "What we do know is that across the life span, a multiracial person in particular tends to change drastically how they tend to identify." Identity is after all fluid, and multiracial individuals are particularly well-versed at code-switching their racial identities depending on the setting, thereby allowing them to talk to people from diverse groups more easily. She quotes, "Acknowledging both sides of one’s racial background increases sensitivity and appreciation for not only one’s in-group but also the racial and cultural backgrounds of others."
The conclusion is this: Multiracial individuals who are given a nurturing space and necessary knowledge to identify with both or all of their racial and ethnic identities from an early age tend to have more integrative experiences and positive outcomes. By not denying any part of themselves, they are armed with the necessary confidence to navigate back and forth between social groups in a healthy and beneficial manner.
