Multiracial

The terms multiracial, biracial, and mixed-race describe people whose ancestors are not of a single race. (Biracial strictly refers to those with ancestors from exactly two races). One example might be a person with a white mother and African father. Another might be the Mestizo people of Mexico (and other Latin American countries) who are descended from Spanish and indigenous ancestors. It is sometimes a matter of opinion if people are mixed-race, because races themselves are not clearly defined. This has caused some problems for census-takers.

Place in society

Societal acceptance of mixed-race marriages and offspring varies widely from person to person and region to region. In Nazi Germany, "racial purity" was considered by the government to be an important goal for society. In the United States, especially the southeast region, marriage between African American and Caucasian people has historically been looked down upon. (As recently as 2003, Taylor County High School in Taylor County, Georgia has held separate Prom celebrations for black and white students.) However, recent data suggests that multiracial marriages are becoming increasingly common in the United States.

Related Topics:
Nazi Germany - African American - Caucasian - Taylor County High School - Taylor County, Georgia

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In 2000, The Sunday Times reported that "Britain has the highest rate of interracial relationships in the world". Apparently contradicting this, more recent census data shows the population of England (in lieu of the UK) to be 1.3% mixed-race (2001), compared with, for example, 1.4% in the USA (2002 estimates, see below). But most of the English population is of one race (white), even more so than in the US, so there are fewer opportunities for interracial relationships in England. In support of the report it can be calculated that 14.4% of those in England who are not white are mixed-race, compared with 7.5% in the US.

Related Topics:
The Sunday Times - Britain - Interracial relationships - England - UK

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Surprisingly, Canada with a Black population of 2%, and a White population of 88%, increasing numbers of mixed race relationships with Blacks and Whites is becoming increasingly common. The mixed race population is now the fourth largest group in the country, overwhelming the Filipino population and now stands at 1.2%.

Related Topics:
Blacks - Whites - Filipino

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Censuses notwithstanding, any count of numbers of mixed-race people is debatable. People may identify themselves as members of one single racial category despite having ancestors belonging to other categories. For instance, genetic studies of black Caribbean people show an ancestry that is on average 10% European and 90% African1. Also, a considerable amount of the US black population is of Native American/European descent.

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Multiracial individuals may feel the effects of an identity crisis. Some individuals take on the appearance of one of the racial groups, while others do retain characteristics of all groups. For example, a person who is half-Caucasian and half-Asian may have facial features and skin color of a Caucasian person rather than an Asian person, or vice versa.

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