50 Experiences of Racially Mixed People

1996, Maria P. P. Root, Ph.D. Racial Experiences Questionnaire and 2003 In The Multiracial Child Resource Book. Seattle, WA: Mavin Foundation.

50 Experiences of Racially Mixed People
Maria P. P. Root

"The 50 questions or comments and experiences evolved from a questionnaire I developed for a study on biracial siblings I conducted from 1996 to 1997. These questions and comments provide an introduction to the way in which race consciousness is brought up directly, sideways, and from all sides for people of mixed heritage. These comments and questions, though not an exhaustive list, provide a window into how this country internalizes assumption about race, belonging, and identity. They socialize the mixed race person to understand as well as question race American style. It is a monoracial system; one race per person. Not everyone experiences these questions or comments the similarly. One person might enjoy being asked, "What are you?" whereas their sibling might dread and resent the question. This list provides a launching point for sharing, discussing, laughing, debriefing, and educating."

1. You have been told, "You have to choose; you can't be both." No
2. Your ethnicity was mistakenly identified. Yes
3. People assumed your race to be different by phone than in person. Yes
4. You are accused of not acting or wanting to be Latino, Asian, Black… No
5. You have been told, "Mixed race people are so beautiful or handsome." Yes
6. Strangers looked between you and your parent(s) to figure out if you were related. No
7. You have been told, "You don't look Native, Black, Latino…" Yes
8. You have been asked, "What are you?" Yes
9. People say things they might not otherwise say if they knew how you identified racially. No
10. You have been asked, "Where are you from?" Yes
11. You have repeatedly been the recipient of stares or longer than passing glances from strangers. Yes
12. You have been told, "You look exotic." Yes
13. Your choice of friends has been interpreted as your "selling out" or not being authentic. No
14. You have been accused of "acting or wanting to be white." No
15. Judgments of your racial authenticity have been based upon your boyfriend/s or girlfriend's (partner's) race. No
16. Comments are made about your hair or hairstyle, skin color, eye shape etc. Yes
17. You have been subjected to jokes about mixed race people. No
18. You have been told, "You think you're too good for your own kind." No
19. Grandparent(s) or relatives don't accept you because of your parents' interracial relationship. No
20. Your parents or relatives compete to "claim" you for their own racial or ethnic group. Sometimes
21. You have been told, "You have the best of both worlds." Yes
22. You have been asked about your racial or ethnic heritage as an object of curiosity. Yes
23. Upon meeting you, people seem confused by your last name. They do not think it "matches" you. Yes
24. People assume you are confused about your racial identity or have had a hard time figuring it out. Don't Know
25. People speak to you in foreign languages because of how they interpret your physical appearance. Yes
26. You have been told, "Society doesn't recognize mixed race." Not in America
27. You have been told, "You aren't really Black, Latino, Asian…" No
28. You have been mistaken for another person of mixed heritage who does not resemble you. Yes
29. You have been told you must be full of self-loathing or hatred because of how you racially identify yourself. No
30. You have been told, "You are a mistake." No
31. Different people perceive your race differently based upon the company you keep. Don't Know
32. The race people assign you varies in different parts of the U.S.A. Yes
33. You have difficulty filling out forms asking for a single race. Yes
34. You identify your race differently than others identify you. Yes
35. You are told, "You aren't like other Indians, Asians, Latinos…" Yes
36. Your siblings identify their race differently than you do yours. N/A
37. You have been called racial slurs of groups with which you do not share heritage. Yes
38. Friends suggest that you date someone based upon the race or ethnicity with which they think you should identify. No
39. Your parents identify your race differently than you identify. Yes
40. You are told, "You aren't Black, Latino, Asian…enough" No
41. Your mother was assumed to be your nanny or babysitter. No
42. A stranger assumes that your father is your "older boyfriend" or your mother is the "older woman." No
43. You were treated differently by relatives or your parents than a sibling on the basis of racial features. No
44. You were well liked by peers but were not asked for dates. Yes
45. You wish you were darker and try to get as much sun as possible. No
46. People assume your father was in the military. Yes
47. You have enrolled in Spanish language classes in order to develop the ability to say "Yes" to the question, "Do you speak the language?" and remove one of the blocks to authenticity. No
48. Your otherwise friends become more distant when they think associating with you will make their racial authenticity or popularity questionable. No
49. You have been knowingly approached and asked, "Your mother's white (black, Asian), huh?" Yes
50. You have tried to hide one or both parents from view of people who know you but are not your closest friends because you anticipate they will treat you differently. No

This was a great questionnaire to fill out for myself. It showed me how much I share with other multiracial people and also how much my experience may also be unique and separate from everyone else.

I look very Asian. Most non-Asian Americans look on me first as Asian and then on second glance think that I might be multiracial. I don't look quite Asian enough to be mistaken as full Asian by other Asians.

I have never had to struggle to be perceived as an authentic member of an ethnic group or race. I was always ruled out of group membership from the very beginning, so I never bothered trying very hard.

Even though most of my most visible racial features are like my father, I also closely resemble my mother. No one seeing the two of us together has ever thought we were not related.

The question about the military did indeed make me laugh. It's amazing how often I get that.