Biracial Children Essay Research Paper In the

Biracial Children Essay, Research Paper

In the US there are 1.1 million plus interracial marriages. Along with these marriages

come millions of biracial children. Not everyone believes having biracial children is a

good idea. Some believe these parents are committing a grave offense against their

children, and thus they are unintentionally hurting their own children (Washington 278).

This a problem which many people are concerned about, teachers and social workers

especially. They are scared biracial children will not get the extra time and energy they

need to live as a normal child. Adults are needed to help the children understand why

they are different and how to deal with it. Biracial children must learn to cope with the

problems that come with being multi-cultural.

One of the biggest problems biracial children have is finding their identity. “What

are you.” is one of the most commonly asked questions that biracial children have to

answer to. Being unable to give a one race answer causes problems for both the child

and whom ever they are talking to. Many people do not understand how someone can be

two or more races. In their eyes you can only have one race. Since being biracial is not

normal to them, they look down on these people. This kind of behavior can make

growing up especially hard for children. In the past children were identified by the

parent of color. If one parent were black, then the child’s race was black also. But if the

child were able to pass as white then he was considered to be white (Wardle 2). This

eliminated a lot of problems for biracial, because children they were not expected to give

an explanation for their race. Eventually this system no longer worked because the

number of single mothers began to increase, making it hard to be sure of the father’s race.

Now many parents are trying to teach their children it is okay to be biracial.

Children who identify themselves with their minority race are not asked for further

explanations by other children and adults. While those who choose both races usually

receive a reaction of shock, amazement and sometimes disapproval. This causes children

to feel as if they must choose between the two races, resulting in confusion and guilt over

having to decide between both heritage. They feel they are unable to identify with one

parent. Thus parent/child bonds to weaken Buttery 39).. Society teaches biracial

children to choose one race, this is what is “acceptable”. Having to make such decisions

can be very difficult. Often the struggle for identity leads biracial children perceive

themselves as alienated from the mainstream, neither one or the other. This is why

finding a racial identity is so important.

Racial identity is defined as “pride in one’s racial and cultural background.” It helps

children to shape attitudes of themselves and others. It also helps form the way biracial

children interact with others and how others react (Nash 22). When you have pride it is

easier to answer questions and know where you fit in. First, a child must realize they

belong to some racial category and decide which one they want to identify themselves

with and also be happy with their decision. There are two ways most biracial children

go. One way is choosing a multi-ethnic race. Meaning both parents have heavy

influence in the child’s life. The second way is to choose only one race. This depends on

the status, social and personal aspects of the child. For example would be the type of

neighborhood the child lives in could represent their status. How family and friends

accept interracial families represents the social aspects and the child’s physical features

could represent the child’s personal feelings (Nash 25). Most children choose the race of

the minority parent. So if a child’s father was black and mother white, he would most

likely identify himself as black. My sister and I are of biracial backgrounds. Our father

is Hispanics and our mother is White. When asked our race, we both respond “Hispanic”.

When asked, why Hispanic over White, we say it is because that is where most of our

culture comes from and that we look more Hispanic than White. “The uncertainty about

where and how one will live being neither white nor black is about as great as any

problem a human being is likely to face” (Washington 277).

Once a child has figured out their identity, who they are, he then must be prepared to

defend themselves from society’s prejudices. “Even though their numbers are small,

biracial children have inherited a society different from the one their grandparents and

great-grandparents found” (Davis 2). Race is an issue that affects a child from the very

beginning, starting at the hospital when the parents must select a race for the birth

certificate. As biracial children grow they seem just like every other child they play with.

Although race is always a factor to most parents, it begin

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