Multiracial mental health: Historical context and cultural beliefs
Historical context
Historically, multiracial individuals have experienced discrimination from the government. The ability to marry and have children with someone of a different race was only federally legalized in the mid-20th century.
Colorism has played a role in the ability of multiracial individuals to lead safe and dignified lives. Colorism affected how Black/African Americans were treated during slavery. Light-skinned enslaved persons could work in the home, get an education, and travel. They also received less severe abuse. Those with dark skin were forced to work outside and fell victim to harsher abuses, neglect, and death. This colorism contributed to present-day biases associating darker skin with lower class. Over time, these kinds of experiences created inequities in Black communities. This is especially true among those with mixed-race heritage.
Multiracial Asian heritage is often connected to the U.S. invasion of Asia during the 20th century in the context of the Korean and Vietnam wars. The fetishization of Asian females led to an increase in white and Asian mixed-race children. This was referred to as “white sexual imperialism.”
Much of the current population of Indigenous communities in the U.S. is made up of multiracial backgrounds. The high number of mixed-race heritage in the Native American community can be traced to colonization. A large number of individuals were also taken from their families in the 19th and 20th centuries. These individuals were placed in boarding schools or foster care. Many people within this group don’t identify with the term multiracial. Many of them do not identify closely with the Native American culture either.
Many of those with Latine/Hispanic multiracial heritage also don’t identify with the term “multiracial." The exact amount of mixed-race heritage in Latine/Hispanic groups may not be entirely known. This is because there is not a clear racial category for this group in many data collection forms. Despite these challenges, many multiracial Latine/Hispanic communities connect through language and beliefs.
Cultural beliefs
Culture and identity is complicated for many multiracial individuals. They often shift their own labels and narratives of their race over time. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as a new understanding of their culture or changes of skin tone. Many adults with multiracial backgrounds do not choose to identify as “multiracial." Instead, they identify more with one race instead of multiple.
Multiracial individuals sometimes must carefully balance many aspects of their identities. This includes each culture they originate from as well as cultivating a strong sense of individual identity. Connection to culture may also change depending on the person’s mixture of heritage. For individuals of Black and white heritage, a strong sense of acceptance is often found within Black communities. For individuals with Asian and white heritage, it is more common to see oneself connected to white cultures rather than Asian ones. Diversity of cultures strongly contributes to diversity of perspectives.
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If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741.