Running head: THE MULTIRACIAL EXPERIENCE

The Multiracial Experience:

Support for Identity Development in Higher Education
Jonathan Merrill and Lisa Rogers
Loyola University Chicago

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Abstract

Multiracial identities were disenfranchised even before the creation of the United States
Constitution. Race in the United States is a social construct that systematically oppresses People
of Color and multiracial individuals. This oppression carries over into higher education.
Multiracial students in higher education often feel isolated because they struggle to figure out
where they fit within the construct of race. Higher education is lacking spaces and organizations
in which multiracial students can explore their racial identity. Institutions of higher education
should be educating faculty and staff and creating more formal opportunities in which identity
development can occur.
Keywords: race, multiracial, higher education, identity, identity development

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This separation of categoriestends to set up false dichotomies in which people often feel that
they have to choose one aspect of their identity over another
(Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, 2013, p. 10)

How do institutions of higher education support the multiracial identity development of

college students? This paper addresses the need for concrete multiracial identity development
initiatives within institutions of higher education. We define multiracial students as those who
have parents from more than one racial group (Cuyet, Hamilton & Cooper, 2011, p. 191).
Monoracial students refer to those who identify with one race. Multiracial students often face
many challenges similar to People of Color; however, they may differ in terms of identity
development processes. The following will concentrate on the history of multiracial people in
the United States as well as in higher education.
There is increasing evidence demonstrating that race, instead of being biologically
connected to physical traits, is based more on the social perceptions of physical traits. Smedley
(1998) observed race as a system that organizes individuals into "limited number of unequal or
ranked categories theoretically based on differences in their biophysical traits" (p. 693). In the
sixteenth century, the term race was used within the slave trade as a term similar to kind, type,
or breed and held no real significance to the population as a whole (Smedley 1998). From its
inception, race has been used as a separation tool. Smedley (1998) argued that the usage of race
became increasingly widespread as a means to further separate the colonial working class:
indefinitely enslaved Africans and poor European servants. Recognized by law, these European
servants, based solely on the color of their skin, were provided resources and benefits that further
separated them from African slaves. This system of social stratification has continued into
modernity and continues to sort individuals into groups based on physical features.

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Today, stratification is systematically reflected in questionnaires designed to collect

demographic data, which are often used by institutions of higher education to gauge school
diversity. Founded in colonial ignorance, this system fails to adapt to the racial fluidity of
modern society. With increasing amounts of interracial marriages after its legalization in 1967,
the population of multiracial children grew significantly (Shih & Sanchez, 2009). As multiracial
children become students in higher education, they will encounter the barrier of monoracial
categorization, which fails to acknowledge their lived experience.
The One-Drop Rule
The One-Drop Rule is an oppressive manifestation of this emphasis on monoracial
categorization. Evans et al. (2010) argued mixed-race identities challenge the traditional
perceptions of race to which U.S. society has adhered for centuries (p. 303). The One-Drop
Rule dictated that if you had traceable amounts of Blackness in your family, you had no rights.
This illustrates that from the very beginning, multiracial people had little to no rights in the
United States because they were quickly identified as Black. Multiracial people were essentially
invisible to larger society because of this categorization as Black. According to Roth (2005), the
One-Drop Rule was made possible due to the exclusiveness of national policy that said an
individual could only have one race. The One-Drop Rule forced multiracial folks to only
identify as Blackthe target race. Even if an individual could pass as White, they were denied
rights because they were seen as undeserving due to their Blackness.
The One-Drop Rule still exists in many ways today. Roth (2005) argued that in some
essence, the One-Drop Rule still exists because of how society forces multiracial people to
categorize themselves. Evans et al. (2010) in reference to U.M. Browns 2001 found that when
Black/White multiracial students were not given the opportunity to identify as bi- or multiracial,

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the majority of students chose to identify as Black, instead of the privileged identity of White.
This study illustrates that the One-Drop Rule is prevalent in todays group of college students.
Multiracial Students in Higher Education
It was not until the 1990s that multiracial students became visible and vocal on college
campuses (Cuyjet, Hamilton, & Cooper, 2011, p. 191). Until the 2000s, the United States
Census made it impossible to count multiracial individuals because there was no clear category
to choose. According to Wang and Buckner (2008), the 2000 United States Census showed that
6.8 million Americans identified with more than one race.
In 2008, White students made up only 63 percent of all college students; a drop of nearly
20 percent since 1976 (Renn & Reason, 2013, p. 7). In addition to the growing number of target
racial groups, a larger number of college students are identifying as multiracial. In 2006, 7.3
percent identified as multiracial compared to 1.3 percent in 1971 (Renn & Reason, 2013, p. 9).
The experiences of multiracial students are unique. Cuyet, Hamilton, and Cooper (2011)
suggest three main themes in the experiences of multiracial students: desire to identify self rather
than to be placed in a category by others, the role of physical appearance in multiracial identity,
and the roles of peers and culture related to race (p. 193). In a review of the literature, physical
appearance is the major thread seen in multiracial identity development. A recurring experience
for many multiracial students is being asked what are you? (King, 2008). Cuyet, Hamilton,
and Cooper (2011) argue the opportunity to self-identify may be reduced or made more
challenging if others make assumptions about the racial identities of biracial students (p. 196).
The what are you? question forces multiracial students to prove their racial legitimacy. Paired
with minimizing identity, it is common for multiracial students to be automatically assigned to a

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monoracial category by their peers, prompting feelings of invisibility and isolation from those
who share their experience (King, 2008).
Sophie Zumout (personal communication, Sept. 27, 2013), a current Resident Director at
Loyola University Chicago, described her struggle to develop her own identity as Middle Eastern
woman. She sees herself receiving White privilege because of the way she is perceived by
others, despite feeling in her heart that she is a Person of Color. While she does not identify as
multiracial, she still faces a dichotomy between how she identifies herself versus how she is
defined by others. Even in her professional life today, she struggles to figure out in which group
she fits into and wonders if it is even all that important to choose one group.
Multiracial identity development is a more crucial issue in higher education as the
number of multiracial folks increase year by year. At Loyola University Chicago the number of
undergraduates self-identifying as multiracial increased from 1.5 percent to 3.5 percent between
the 2010 and 2011 academic year (Office of Institutional Research). As these numbers increase,
Loyola, as well as most other institutions, are not providing multiracial students with appropriate
spaces and mentorship for people who struggle with their racial identity.
Creating Spaces
Monoracial cultural groups alone may fail to provide the spaces necessary for multiracial
students to develop. Simon Hara (personal communication, Oct. 1, 2013), an advisor in Loyola
University Chicago's Office of First and Second Year Advising, reported difficulty entering into
Asian communities during his time at University of California, Santa Barbara because he did not
necessarily look Asian as defined by group standards. While this organization was welcoming to
all students, he perceived subtext that made him uncomfortable being in those spaces. This
experience also connects with Ashley Viager (personal communication, Sept. 28th, 2013), a

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Residential College Director at Washington University in St. Louis, who also struggled to enter
into Asian communities during her time as an undergraduate at Loyola. This sense of otherness
caused her to disengage from a community where she thought she would find support.
King (2008) argued "the lack of cultural nuances accentuated student's differences and
made it difficult to fit into racial or ethnic spaces on college campuses" (p. 37). Another way of
interpreting this argument is that multiracial students, since they may not fit into monoracial
categories, use cultural tools in order to validate their presence in these spaces. Simon, when
entering into Asian communities, reflected on not having some of these tools. By not being able
to speak Japanese, he had a harder time proving that he belonged within those spaces.
Predominate student cultural groups, since they are targeted at monoracial individuals, may fail
to meet the needs of multiracial students because they are not inherently designed to address
those needs. In fact, multicultural student centers may not be associated as a resource for
multiracial students (Sophie Zumout, personal communication, Sept. 27, 2013). This is likely
because the large majority of services from multicultural centers are focused towards monoracial
groups.
As higher education continues to serve the needs of this growing population; institutions
need to create spaces that specifically focus on the identity development of these students. These
may include "multiracial center[s] and resources, inclusive monoracial spaces and student
groups, multiracial spaces and student group" (Ashley Viager, personal communication, Sept.
28th, 2013). Affinity groups where multiracial students can explore their identity with their
peers can lead to incredibly powerful and transformative experiences (Simon Hara, personal
communication, Oct. 1, 2013). These spaces can deter feelings of isolation and can create a
feeling of belonging within the institution.

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In addition to creating spaces, the literature emphasizes the importance of visible

multiracial mentors, in the form of students, faculty, and staff. Sophie Zumout participated in
affinity spaces within the Department of Residence Life and had some difficulty. Since there
were no affinity spaces specifically for multiracial staff members, she was forced to choose one
part of her identity and forfeit the other. If we cannot support the development of our multiracial
staff members at an administrative level, how are we supposed to support this population of
students (Sophie Zumout, personal communication, Sept. 27, 2013)? King (2008) echoes this
sentiment, and recommends the coming out of multiracial staff and faculty in order to increase
visibility and awareness of multiracial individuals in higher education (p. 39). The plethora of
personal experiences noted above, provide evidence that multiracial identity development is an
issue pertinent to higher education administrators and students.
Personal Impact
Jonathan Merrill
This issue of multiracial identity intersects with my racial identity in both privileged and
disenfranchised ways: my Black identity falls into a monoracial category, but is also among the
targeted racial identities.
My privileged identity intersects with this issue in two ways: systematically and socially.
Blackness, while comprised of people from varying ethnicities, has been socially constructed as
a monoracial category thereby conforming to the larger system. Demographic and census
surveys will most likely include a race in which I am able to identify. Multiracial individuals are
often either forced to identify with one race, or must elect to pick and choose a couple boxes
which far from describes how they actually choose to identify. For multiracial individuals, I
cannot imagine the emotional distress or frustration with being forced to choose an identity that

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only tangibly describes you. This example best exemplifies my monoracial privilege on a
systematic level.
I also physically fit into the social construct of Blackness in the sense that my skin is
dark. In other words, how I internally identified racially matches societys perception of that
group. This is in contrast to the experiences of Sophie Zumout. While she internally identified as
a Person of Color, she was externally perceived as White (Sophie Zumout, personal
communication, Sept. 27, 2013). Due to this dissonance, she has struggled to find a foothold
between these two communities. Even though I was raised in a predominately White
neighborhood, I still fit into the Black community because I look the part. Therefore, no one has
ever questioned my race. Entering into Black communities, I never had to explain myself.
Conversely, multiracial individuals may not have this luxury. For example, I have seen
multiracial students with lighter skin tones compelled to justify their presence at community
events. This illuminates two further issues. First, having to constantly justify yourself may lead
to separating oneself from that community. Secondly, if there are no specific multiracial
communities within the institution, where can these students go? Ultimately, lack of a
community can create feelings of isolation.
Although my Black identity, which fits into the monoracial system and is subsequently
privileged; it is itself also an oppressed identity. I may physically fit into the Black racial
category, but my physical appearance may also lead to profiling. Despite physically fitting into a
racial category which corresponds to how I internally identify; I have had similar experiences to
multiracial individuals because of my upbringing in a predominantly white environment. While
my Blackness was not called into question because of my physical characteristics, it was instead
scrutinized for failing to fall into certain cultural norms.

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As a product of being the only Black individual in my classes for eighteen years, I spoke
in a way that differed from my extended family who presided in predominantly black
communities. My White friends at school also called my apparent lack of Blackness into
question. I distinctly remember being referred to as an Oreo - Black on the outside and white
on the inside. My cultural dissonance reflects reports from multiracial students in King's (2008)
review of literature regarding their experience. Many students reported confusion as "black
friends demanded that I act black and my white friends wanted me to act white" (King, 2008,
p.37). This points to the need for creating spaces within higher education where students can
explore their non-monoracial identities or experiences.
Lisa Rogers
I have little knowledge of the multiracial experience. As a White woman, I am
privileged via my race. The benefits I have are two-fold; I receive benefits as a White person,
but I also receive benefits by being able to fit neatly into a category.
Being White gives me inherent privileges; I do not have to worry about being judged
negatively by society on the basis of my skin tone. When people meet me, they are likely to
recognize my skills and other features before they consider the color of my skin. This is unlike
the experiences of many People of Color; often they are judged on the basis of their skin and
judge me poorly because of negative experiences with other White folks. It is important to
recognize that rarely do the judgments of People of Color impact my life because of the little
racial privilege they carry.
I also benefit from being able to fit into a category. Rarely do people mistake my racial
identity; if someone identified me, they would describe me as a White woman, which is in line
with how I identify. This is contrasted with Sophie Zumouts experience of constantly being

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misidentified by others; she identifying as a Person of Color while others tend to identify her as
White (personal communication, Sept. 27, 2013). It is a privilege to check a box on an
application without a second thought because my box is available. Rarely is there the option to
check more than one box. Often the only option they have is to select bi- or multiracial; for
some the category of multiracial may fit, but for others it may dismiss their true identity.
I do not have a target racial identity, but I do carry the target identity of being a woman.
Liked multiracial students, I have been put into a box and told how a woman should act. This
comes out because I play golfa male dominated sport. In golf there are three to four sets of
tees to start off each hole. The forward tees are known as the ladies tees. I never thought
about what the ladies tees meant until one day I decided to play from a different tee box. I was
setting up for my tee shot when the golf pro (a man) came up to me, pointed down the tee box
and said the ladies tees are up there. I said, Yes, I know and proceeded as I had. Even
though I had broken into a male-dominated sport, I was still being pigeonholed into the narrow
description of being a woman.
Like me being told how a woman should behave, multiracial individuals are constantly
defined by how society perceives them. Perceptions of others greatly impact ones sense of self
and identity as discussed earlier in this paper. In working with students in the future, I can use
my target identity experiences to further relate and empathize with multiracial students
struggling with their identity.
Implications for Professional Practice
We have very different experiences because of our racial identities, however we are both
privileged greatly because of them. We both have monoracial identities: Black and White.
Because of our monoracial identities, we both have a box to check on applications and we do not

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have to worry that someone may mistake us for an identity that is not our own. Additionally, we
both have identities that are represented by student groups and organizations on college
campuses, which is not the case for many multiracial students.
We recognize that we both carry different identities that will inform how we interact with
multiracial students. Lisa, coming from a racially privileged lens will work with multiracial
students through a lens of learning. She recognizes that her privilege impacts her work with
students and though she can support students in their development, she is unable to directly relate
to lived experiences. Through creating a supportive and understanding environment, Lisa will be
able to better support the students with which she works. Jon, while he may share some
experiences with multiracial students, also recognizes that he comes from a racially privileged
lens. With this mix, he is able to empathize with this population of students and use his
experience to make connections. Additionally, as an individual who identifies monoracially, he
is able to connect his journey of identification with other monoracial students and to create
inclusive spaces.
As Assistant Resident Directors in Residence Life at Loyola University Chicago, we have
the opportunity to work with a variety of students on a daily basis. Our major goal is to create a
space, as discussed earlier in this paper, in which multi- and monoracial students feel
comfortable talking about life experiences and exploring their identity. We hope to validate and
support our students through empathetic and developmental conversations that foster further
understanding of racial identity.
Because of our privileges and position at the University, we are able to advocate for the
needs of disenfranchised student groups, including multiracial students. We hope to advocate for
the creation of multiracial spaces and organizations within Loyola as well as institution we may

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work at in the future. We can use our privileges, position, and research to educate fellow
administrators in Residence Life and the Division of Student Development on the need for
further development of the services we provide multiracial students at Loyola University
Chicago.
In conclusion, the field of student affairs can do more to support multiracial students
within institutions of higher education. As professionals in the field we are fighting a battle of
racism that is steeped in American history and ingrained in everything we do. We must advocate
for and support our multiracial students through providing spaces for identity development to
happen, whether through creating multiracial student organizations or mentorship. Invisibility
and isolation are potential consequences of not providing spaces for multiracial identity
development. Unfortunately, this could result in lower retention of these students. As student
affairs professionals, we are responsible for creating an environment that is conscious of student
needs so we can fully support them and their development.

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References

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Theory, models, and practices for understanding diversity, and creating inclusion.
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in college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
King, A.R. (2008). Student perspectives on multiracial identity. New Directions For Student
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Kirk, G. and Okazawa-Rey, M. (2013). Who am I? Who are my people? In Adams, M. et al.
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