Mapping Racial Fluidity Over Time in Jamaica

• In Event: 40852 - Race and Ethnicity: Racialization, Socialization, and Identity

Abstract

This study examines racial fluidity—defined as ambiguity around racial boundaries and shifting national identification patterns over time—in Jamaica. Using data from the 2010–2023 Americas Barometer in Jamaica, it explores how skin color and socioeconomic status (SES) influence Black or mixed self-identification and whether racial schemas have evolved. Results show that both skin color and SES are associated with racial identification. Over time, skin color ratings between Black and mixed-race individuals converged, suggesting increased fluidity between skin color and racial identity. Additionally, the relationship between SES and racial identification changed significantly across survey years. These findings (1) expand the study of racial fluidity to a majority African-descended society shaped by ideologies of racial mixing; (2) reframe the role of SES in racial identity through mestizoization/creolization rather than whitening; and (3) highlight intra-Black fluidity, where racial identity may diverge from skin color. Overall, the study illustrates how national racial formations shape the malleability of race.

Author

• Monique D. A Kelly, Michigan State University