Alyssa Jenkins

Ms. McCane

English 4

12 April 2018

Being Biracial: Effects on Social Relationships

“What are you?”, is the favorite question asked to people who “look” biracial. This

country is a mixture of multiple races, despite this there is still a struggle for biracial people.

Families have been scrutinized on different occasions just for being who they are.This topic is

controversial for many people and others may not care at all. However, the importance of this

topic needs to be brought to attention. Being biracial may have a negative effect on social

relationships, such as friendships, family relationships, and intimate relationships throughout

different stages of life.

Biracial is concerning or containing members of two racial groups according to

Webster’s dictionary. History 90.01: Topics in Digital History. “History 9001 Topics in Digital

History, focused on the categorization of biracial people in the 1900’s. It includes charts and

data collected on what race a biracial child is most likely to identify with when they are older. It

takes a mathematical and logical approach to choosing a race as a biracial person. The data

collected was from several studies done and the U.S. History through Census Data. Rather than

just saying what race biracial people identify with, there are several graphs and charts. The charts

are supported by studies done by others as well. It states “Census. Insofar as a child’s racial

identity later in life is correlated with the race declaration that their parents choose for them, any

findings from this investigation will apply to the populace at large.”. This article shows the

identity crisis for a biracial person at a young age.

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The topic is how being biracial can affect social relationships. This is relevant because

many biracial people have trouble identifying themselves. This identity crisis comes from others

forcing them to identify with only one race. According to History 90.01: Topics in Digital

History, “about 65% of the time, the child of different race parents would be reported classified

as black.” This statistic shows how biracial persons are still often given a race to be instead of

embracing both. This article also points out the fact that different places categorize biracial

people in other ways. It stated “Although children in the South have consistently had a relatively

high (and constant) probability of being declared white, the data reveal a national trend in the

other direction.” A scholarly article titled “Biracial: Problems and Issues.” discusses how current

of an issue it is. It discusses why the complications of being biracial matter. Also, it goes into

depth about what the main problems are and what we need to pay attention to. The article states

“Biracial or multiracial individuals are often confronted with the age-old question, “What are

you?”. The fact that people still ask this question on the regular basis shows that it is still

relevant. The articles mentioned, “For biracial people, finding an identity can be more

complicated and frustrating because of the multiple races they are surrounded by.” It is hard to

be you when you are not fully sure where you fit into everything.

There is sometimes an misconstrued idea of what being biracial is like. Some feel as

though it has no effect on one’s social relationships. In some ways they are correct because in a

certain situation race may play no part. People will argue that there are more serious things that

could affect a person’s life. There is also people who feel as though if a biracial person just

identifies as one race then there will be no problem. The idea that just choosing to identify as one

race you are more likely to fit has been tossed around. It will allow for grouping more easily.

There are also those who think that biracial people cause more disruption. According to an article

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written by Alexandros Orphanides,“Why Mixed-Race Americans Will Not Save The Country”,

discussing the problems of biracial racism will distract from the overall face of racism. He also

believes that nobody can really tell when a person is mixed. As well as the fact that a biracial

person’s discrimination is no different than that of a person that belongs to a single race.It was

stated in the article that “But when it comes to systemic barriers, experts point out that instances

of racial discrimination for mixed-race people may not be very different from the experiences of

people who identify as belonging to a single race.”. Orphanides and others believe that all

experiences of racial discrimination are the same. This mindset can easily be proven wrong and it

will be proven to be wrong inside of the research paper.

On the other hand, most of the people who do not see an effect are not biracial. They do

not see the self-esteem and fear of socializing do to a person who feels as though they do not fit

in. They do not see how the rejection comes from friends, family, and significant others. In

certain cases being biracial plays a significant role in social relationships. There are instances

where race plays no part whatsoever and that can be defended. When a person has to mark

“other” in a box that is when it becomes an issue. When a place does not allow a person to

identify with every part of them, that is when it becomes a problem. When one is categorized,

not by choice, but by force that is when it becomes a major issue. For those who say that being

biracial does not change anything, they are completely wrong. The evidence provided below will

further support my claims.

Being biracial has an effect on having friendships by causing a sense of not fitting in.

There is often a feeling of not fitting into either of the racial groups. The feeling of not fitting in

can prevent a person from wanting to interact with others. Starting a new friendship can be

difficult when it is a feeling of not being accepted. It can also lead to shyness for fear of being

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not enough of one race to be friends with them. During the interview conducted with Stefanie

Barnette, she stated, “It hasn’t impacted my existing friendships but I do have to work harder to

establish them because of the stereotypes associated with being light skinned.” There are

stereotypes associated with being biracial tends to come with stereotypes that make creating new

friendships difficult. Things only get worse when trying to start a friendship and hearing,

“You’re not black enough to fit in with black people and you’re not white enough to fit in with

white people...so where do you go?” or “Aren’t you confused about whether you’re black or

white?”. Asking a person where they go is the same as telling them that they are an outsider. It is

a feeling of brutal rejection. After the rejection a build a wall or become shy just to avoid

anymore attention for being biracial. It is almost a learned behavior that a person has to decide to

be one or the other. Once it is learned to choose people make the assumption that it is done just

to match a certain race. Those statements are often “You act black so you’re black” or “You talk

well...it must be because of your white side”. Even after making it passed the outlandish

questions or statements and start to build a friendship, the question, “What else does the person

think about me?”. Friendships can not be built if the person is always wondering where the other

fits.

The effects of being biracial are often more cruel when it comes to forming relationships

with your own family members. Some family members can be very demeaning in both their

words and actions. It is incredibly hard to hear one of your own relatives say that your mother

and father “ruined” their kids’ lives by marrying a different race. How is one supposed to believe

that blood is thicker than water when they believe that he/she is as damaged as a shipwrecked

boat? This underlying hatred forces an unnecessary wedge between people who are supposed to

be so close knit. Having a mother told that she can not bring her husband or children to a family

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function is incredibly disheartening. It puts the question of “Is my family not good enough for

you?” into one’s head. The snide comments and rude actions often create resentment towards

family members see the child as“other”. One may even distanced themselves from those

relationships, which can be hurtful during certain times. Also the way the parents of a child can

determine where a child feels they fit in. According to “Mothers and Their Biracial Children:

Growing Up Biracial in a One Race Fits All Society”, “How parents label their children racially

can provide a starting point for how their children are not just socialized but also how they come

to understand their own sense of racial identity (Bratter, 2007)”. The upbringing of a child can

determine which race they are most comfortable with. However, it can be challenging for the

parents when the rest of the family does not accept the children. The only thing worth hoping for

is acceptance from the child’s own family members.

Dating someone seems like it could be so easy, but when a person is biracial things could

possibly get more complicated. The first complication can be from trying to find someone that

shares commonalities with the biracial person. Attitudes, Social Relationships and Behaviors of

Black and Biracial Adolescents mentioned, “One challenge for Biracial youth may be finding

others who are sufficiently similar to themselves, despite their own unique blend of cultural and

ethnic backgrounds.” It is hard to find someone who can share similar experiences, different

cultural aspects, and other situations with. After making it past finding someone that is even

close to similar, there are other issues that potentially pop up. Sometimes your significant other

may say things like “I’ve never dated a mixed breed” or “I only date light skinned girls”. Hearing

something like that creates a feeling less than or as if they are comparing one to a dog. It is hard

to create a relationship with someone and question rather or not, the relationship is based on skin

color. When it comes to meeting the significant other’s family things can go really good or really

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bad. A caucasian ,dating an African American man, woman may be asked by her sister in laws if

she is a trophy wife. The guy may be asked couldn’t he just marry a black woman. The family

could be very judgemental and unaccepting. Hateful words are sometimes said when one tells

them that their significant other is a different race. It is painful to hear parents being called “race

traders” just for being together. Hearing things like that often make one feel as though if they

were not born it would be easier for the parents. The acceptance of a partner’s family is

incredibly important so if they hate the person because of who they are, makes one wonder how

long the relationship will last.

A biracial person may experience a negative effect on social relationships, such as

friendships, family relationships, and intimate relationships throughout different stages of life.

The topic is real an issue. Biracial has always been better known as “other” to some, They

assume that identifying as one race is as easy as pie but, that is far from reality. Often humans

feel as though everything must fit into a certain group. When it does not fit into a group they

force it to. It is almost as though they do not want biracial people to identify with both. People

are going to treat biracial people as “other” no matter what and create a lot of hurt by doing so.

In order to solve the problem people we must move past colorism, racism, and genderism. Being

to move past those three things will allow for so much growth. There will no longer be feelings

of isolation because of a person’s identity. This country and world must actually begin to treat

everyone truly equally. Just because a person is made up as two or more races does not mean

they should be treated as “other”. At the end of the day every human being’s blood is red. In

order for us to move past the categorization

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Works Cited

Barnette, Stefanie Community Outreach Leader

“Biracial: Problems and Issues.”

Http://Pitjournal.unc.edu/fall2013/Proposal/Biracial-Problems-and-Issues, 18 Nov. 2013,

pitjournal.unc.edu/fall2013/proposal/biracial-problems-and-issues.

Bookmark, J W. “History 90.01: Topics in Digital History.” History 9001 Topics in Digital

History

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Felts-Keller, Kristin. “Mothers and Their Biracial Children: Growing Up Biracial in a One Race

Fits All Society.” Https://Digitalcommons.cedarville.edu, 2009,

Jenkins, Indria Michelle. “Attitudes, Social Relationships and Behaviors of Black and Biracial

Adolescents.” Https://Lib.dr.iastate.edu, 2008,

Orphanides, Alexandros. “Why Mixed-Race Americans Will Not Save The Country.” NPR,

NPR, 8 Mar. 2017,