Multiraciality in Cyberspace: Honorary Whiteness, Hypo-descent or Something Else?

• In Event: 466 - Regular Session. Multi-Racial Classification/Identity

Abstract

Using data from one of the largest dating websites in the United States, we utilize the concepts of Bonus, In-betweenness, Full White Incorporation, Full Minority Incorporation and Penalty to examine multiracial identification as interactive processes in online dating. We assess how the specific multiracial makeup of potential partners effect the responsiveness of online daters of varying monoracial identities and find that Bonus, Full White Incorporation and In-betweenness are the main driving forces of monoracials' interactions with multiracials users; multiracial daters of various identities generally receive a premium by monoracial daters, though black multiracials benefit the least from this premium and women benefit more than men from a multiracial status. While appearing to transverse racial boundaries in the dating market with relative fluidity, monoracial men and women generally draw the line at monoracial black women and treat black-white multiracials as an in-between group.

Authors

• Celeste Curington, University of Massachusetts

• Ken-Hou Lin, University of Texas-Austin

• Jennifer Hickes Lundquist, University of Massachusetts-Amherst