Color-Blind or Color-Bound: Asian-White and Black-White Multiracials Speak on Racism

• In Event: 029 - Regular Session. Multiracial Classification/Identity

Abstract

Recent research on multiracials largely focuses on the racial identity development and racial identity options for those who identify as mixed-race; this focus has left a gap on how racism and placement in the racial hierarchy shapes the multiracial experience. This paper complements the few quantitative studies that have analyzed how different types of multiracials (Asian-White, Black-White, Latin@-White) might have different placements within the racial hierarchy by qualitatively analyzing how Asian-Whites and Black-Whites speak about racism. Through in-depth interviews and vignettes, a clear pattern emerges whereby Asian-Whites perceive and experience less racism - color-blind – while Black-Whites are highly cognizant of racism – color-bound.

Author

• Hephzibah Virginia Strmic-Pawl, Coastal Carolina University