Multiracial Identity and Racial Politics in the United States

Abstract

This book highlights a new cultural norm to racially self-identify as “multiracial” and offers evidence on the possible political implications of this racial identity. It first catalogues a cultural shift from assigning race to perceiving race as a product of personal identification by tracing events over the course of the twentieth century. Chapters then present evidence from a variety of sources including in-depth interviews, public opinion surveys and census data to understand how certain individuals embrace the agency of self-identification and choose to assert multiracial identities. An included case study on President Barack Obama shows how multiracial identity narratives can be strategically used to reduce anti-black bias among voters. The book concludes by discussing how narratives promoting multiracial identities are in direct dialogue with, rather than in replacement of, the longstanding racial order.