Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: How are immigrants affecting ethnic and race relations, particularly in light of a persistent racial hierarchy that marks life in the United States? In what ways are demographic changes enhancing and/or inhibiting multiracial politics? Ethnic and racial dynamics are particularly salient in campaigns to restore voting rights to noncitizens in local and/or state elections. This paper explores these issues by examining immigrant voting rights campaigns in several locales in the United States – focusing on the case of New York -- using survey research, interviews, election and census data, public documents, and existing studies. Multiracial coalitions were found in nearly every campaign to restore immigrant voting rights. Coalition partners believed expanding the franchise would provide political gains for people of color. In addition, some groups found common ground regarding other policy goals. However, some campaigns fostered competition among contending ethnic and racial groups -- especially those that did not have African American leadership or that did not adopt an anti-racist agenda -- which impeded more inclusive, effective and sustainable multiracial alliances. Conflict between some groups around other policy goals also worked against alliances.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: In the literature on Black/White multiracial families, there is a significant group of families missing from most research. These are households that are lead by a single parent of a biracial child. While data on the relative prevalence of single parenthood in multiracial populations is sparse, my research indicates that a significant percentage of multiracial families are headed by single parents. Nearly half of the Black/White biracial infants and toddlers in my study where born to a unmarried parent (National Maternal and Infant Health Survey 1988, 1991). This study also indicates that these families are much like other single parent families demographically. In most cases they fall somewhere between black and white single parent households; however, in areas where there are differences they tend to be closer to African American families.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This session explores how young people in the Bay Area are experiencing its racial and cultural diversity and what new identities, networks and political movements they are developing. Panelists will speak from a range of perspectives--academic research, grassroots activism and advocacy, and divergent life experiences.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Research on multiracial individuals has been increasing recently, partly due to the advent of a new racial measurement convention in the 2000 Census. However, the cross-sectional nature of this work obscures a vital aspect of multiracial identity; multiracial identity appears much more fluid than monoracial identity. Using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of adolescents, we find that a significant percentage of American adolescents demonstrate fluidity in racial self-reports as they make the transition to adulthood. We identify six possible pathways of multiracial identity development and find that significant numbers of adolescents report racial identification consistent with each pathway. Importantly, over time many more adolescents add a racial identity (Diversify) or subtract one (Consolidate) than remain consistently multiracial. We then turn to exploring mean differences between pathways along a number of psychological and social characteristics. Finally, we attempt to predict developmental pathways of racial identification within a multinomial framework. Ultimately, our study attempts to re-frame a developmental perspective by focusing on the demonstrated fluidity inherent in multiracial identity development.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The addition of multiracial categories to large surveys has the potential to improve our understanding of racial inequality in the United States. Using the third wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, I show that multiracial groups do differ significantly from single-race groups on educational outcomes including vocabulary test scores and college enrollment. Many of these racial gaps are explained by differences in family background, such as parental education and family income. Measures of appearance are also investigated in an effort to understand how outsiders view single-race and multiple-race individuals, and how resulting differences in treatment may influence their educational outcomes. I show that measures of skin color do not explain all of the differences between single-race and multiple-race groups, and that multiracial individuals have significant differences from others classified into the same “observed” racial group.