Educational Media Reviews Online

Multiracial Identity explores the complexities of what it means to be a person of mixed race heritage in the United States, and how the concept of mixed race “challenges racial perceptions and boundaries.” Race is a concept with its origins in custom and mores; in America persons with both black and white ancestry are viewed as black, a legacy of the ‘one drop rule’ intended to preserve the racial purity of the white race. The film explores the history of how multiracial individuals have been treated in America, how the mixed race class provided a shield between blacks and whites, and how the paper bag, blue vein or comb tests would be used to determine racial membership.

The standard categories by which Americans define their racial identity were developed in the mid 1970s partly as a means to measure compliance with civil rights legislation. While traditionally racial matters in the United States have focused on black and white relationships, Multiracial Identity explores the experiences of a wide variety of mixed race peoples. Today the US Census permits people to select more than one racial category, but there are groups opposed to the establishment of a multi or mixed race classification. Opposition is based on a fear of loss of benefits under civil rights compliance legislation, fear of dilution of cultural heritage, or fear of the dilution of the race itself.

For multiracial people the lack of a mixed race categorization can be a source of conflict and distress. Many find the categorization “other” on many forms to be dehumanizing, or they feel they “don’t really have a place.” Others, when forced to choose membership in a single group, feel they are denying half their heritage. Sometimes they end up without the strong support of the very cultural group they are forced to identify with. Yet, if the concept of race were eliminated, America would no longer be able to track racial discrimination. Muddying the water still further is the question where to place Hispanics—which is a linguistic rather than a racial group.

Multiracial Identity is a sensitive, thorough going examination of a very complex issue that is rife with social, political and economic ramifications. The interviews with academics are thoughtful, comprehensive and present divergent viewpoints. The spokespeople for multiracial viewpoints are articulate and perceptive, and the archival images and historic footage are well chosen and enhance the analysis. This film is highly recommended to all collections and a must have for those institutions with multicultural programs.