Lee, Chinyun (Jean)

ESL 33B

Professor Carlisi

16 May 2018

Introduction

By the year 2050, 20% of Americans will identify with two or more racial

ancestries. In reality, the amount of the multiracial population may be much larger

than we think because the U.S. Census does not track persons of mixed

Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic/Latino heritage (e.g., people who are mixed

Mexican and White) , nor does it account for those persons of mixed racial heritage

who choose to report only one race (Jackson). Even though America is a diversity

country, racial stereotype and discrimination still happen. Multiracial-identifying

students appear to be experiencing discrimination and bias more frequently than

might commonly be assumed (Thomas 37). Because of that, another research

indicated that multiracial children tried to move away from the minority status

identification(David 1137-1150). In order to make multiracial children understand

more about their culture and decrease the mount of discrimination and stereotype, art

seems to be a good way. In this case, multiracial children tend to experience identity

confusion because of stereotyping and discrimination, but they are able to find their

identity through art.

PRELIMINARY OUTLINE

I. Introduction to multi racial children and their identidication.

 A. General background of mutiracial children.

1. The population of multiracial people.

a. Scholars have predicted that 20% of Americans will identify

with two or more racial ancestries by the year 2050. (Cheng

and Powell, 2007).

b. According to a Pew Research Center study released last year,

one in seven babies was multiracial or multi ethnic in 2015. it is

up from 10% in 2000 and 5% in 1980.

2. Due to the racial inferiority, those multiracial children showed the

evidence to try to move away from minority status identification.

(David 1137-1150)

B. Multiracial children tend to experience identity confusion because of

stereotyping and discrimination, but they are able to find their identity through

art.

II. The importance of self identification from multiracial children.

A. Racial identity is referred to as “centrality”, which represents a relatively

stable perception of the significance that one attributes to one’s racial-ethnic

background. (Charmaraman & Grossman 145)

1. For example, findings for multiracial adolescents nowadays have

presented that regard contributes to positive outcomes only when race

or ethnicity are central aspects of individuals’ identities (Charmaraman

& Grossman 145)

2. Another study by Townsend, Markus, and Bergsieker (2009) found

that multiracial college students who were forced to choose only one

race on a demographic questionnaire were subsequently reported lower

 motivation and lower self-respect performance, compared with

participants who were permitted to choose multiple races. Although

there are issues of power and generalizability given the small sample

size of these studies, initial evidence suggests that racial discrimination

may cause negative effects on the psychological adjustment of

multiracial people. (Jackson 241)

B. Racial discrimination becomes as a potentially important risk factor for the

health and well-being of racial minorities, and experiences of discrimination

might also be related to negative psychological outcomes in multiracial

children. (Jackson 241)

C. In order to help us to understand the resources at people's disposal that allow

them to develop resilience in confronting challenges and hardships when

assimilate into the social environment, researchers believe that race is a social

construction might reduce the anxiety and stereotype threat. (Shih 132)

1. For example, a study by Coleman and Carter (2007) discovered

biracial college students reported feeling high amounts of societal

pressure to identify mono racially (or with only one race) and that this

pressure, in particular by peers, was significantly correlated with social

anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. (Jackson 241)

III. Stereotype and discrimination cause the problem of racial identification.

A. Stereotype lead to children’s racial identification.

1. Biracial individuals may begin their schooling having embraced their

double heritage and possessing positive self-images; however, their

monoracial classmates may not understand them, and, even worse, may

have preconceived notions regarding race. (Baxley 231)

 B. Discrimination that multiracial children may encounter.

1. According to Thomas, students who have multiracial-identification

appear to be experiencing discrimination and bias more frequently than

might commonly be assumed. (Thomas 37)

2. Individuals who perceived racial discrimination due to their multiracial

background reported higher distress symptoms and negative affect,

after controlling for their level of multiracial identity integration. (

Jackson 245)

C. Examples from the children who might face stereotype and discrimination.

1. A Biracial child who appears to "look black" may be taunted by black

students for being light-skinned and having curly hair. (Baxley 231)

2. Biracial children who appear to be more "white" may receive negative

comments from peers while his/her black parent entering the

classroom.(Baxley 231)

IV. Art can build a positive attitude toward racial, and help children to embrace their

identification.

A. Kraehe’s research indicates the ways that arts education can build a broader

conception of equity. (Kraehe 240)

1. It is only by disarticulating elements of the liberal ideologies of race

based on the ethnicity paradigm and rearticulating them to create new

racial meanings that confront racial, patriarchal, and capitalist social

structures that people who in art education can begin to confront

inequalities in schools and work towards creating a more equal society.

(Desai p.36-37)
 2. Examples of the equity that art can bring to people.

a. “The notion of equity, is that everyone has access to quality art

experiences in their life,” said by David Fisher, an Italian-

Israeli architect, who is famous for the Dynamic Tower, a spiral

skyscraper in Dubai.

b. Some students come from poverty might not go to any music

recital or art exhibitions, but once they attend art classes, they

can have the chance to experience.

B. Art and History Programs try to provide experience directly to help children to

develop positive attitudes of cultural diversity. (Cruz P.13)

1. The most significant difference between talking about race and making

art about race is it’s easier to express oneself beyond words through

art. (Davis 42)

2. In Davis’s study, she showed that involving teaching a Critical Race

Theory informed curriculum, art making is able to relieve emotional

exhaustion and support various perspectives on racial identity;

therefore, supporting positive racial climate.(Davis 45)

 C. Lowenfeld, the most influential art educator of the 20th century, believed that

arts could help students to develop abilities of critical decision making,

creative thinking, and confidence that their own thoughts were valuable with

the knowledge of their cultural heritage. (Young 52)

1. According to Heck, “Artmaking offers metaphoric constructs, images,

and vocabulary for designing and implementing complex multicultural

content and activities; models a particular process for holistic

dialogues within and among concept, content, and form by human

beings learning in community; and is an experiential modality for

looking at, thinking about, imagining, and actively expressing cultural

and social sensibilities and possibilities.”

2. Example that shows multiracial artists who embrace their mixed race

identities and try to rise the awareness from the public

a. In 2016, there were a visual arts exhibition “Dirty Knees” was

held by half- Asian ancestry artists, Nomi Chi, Shannon Elliott,

Katie So, Mandy Tsung and Lauren YS and they was exploring

mixed-race identities, and aimed to create a sense of

community and promote the idea to discuss the issues between

race and identity.

V. Conclusion

The importance of multiracial children’s identification should not be

overlooked since it is related to their physical and mental health, and also their

performance on academy, social and work. People could solve Identity confusion

caused by stereotype and discrimination through art. Take Thandie Newton, British

actress, for example, her dad is a white from Cornwall and her mom is black from
Zimbabwe. she said she was always defined by otherness since she is the only

“brown” student in an “all white” school. She’s confused by her identity for a long

time. However, when she began to dance and act, she found herself and started to

embrace herself.
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