Now (do) you See Me? How Racial Contestation affects Mental Health of Multiracial Adults.

• In Event: 2166 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 7: Multi-Racial & Mixed Race Identity

Abstract

Contested racial identities, the condition of identifying with a race that outsiders do not validate, is presumed to be a common feature of the lives of multiracial adults. While identifying with a race that others do not “see” may impact how individuals navigate their social worlds, are there consequences or even stressors associated with this experience? This work interrogates this question by comparing the number of days of poor mental health reported by self-identified multiracial adults who report experience contestation and those who understand themselves as being seen as a race that matches their identification. Drawing from data from the BRFSS (2004-2010), the authors estimate the number of days of poor mental health and the role of identity contestation for several racial sub-groups of multiracial adults using Poisson regression models. Findings reveal that 14 percent of multiracial adults report they are viewed differently than they identify, but this experience is not universally stressful. Rather, racial identity contestation is strongly associated with poor mental health for Black-White adults more so than other groups, including American Indian-White adults who both regularly report identity contestation and poor mental health. We consider the implication of these findings for understanding race as “lived race” as a multidimensional concept as well as the ways race contextualizes interactions and well-being of multiracial adults.

Authors

• Allan Farrell, Rice University

• Jenifer L. Bratter, Rice University