A Social History of a Multiethnic Identity: the Case of Black Japanese Americans.

Most research concerning multiracial families in the U.S. focuses on the couples or the offspring. The former generally highlight cultural/racial differences and characterize the marriages as more likely to dissolve than others. The latter view the offspring as products of parents who provide them with an amorphous racial identity and they thus are seen to possess a damaged self-image. Recent research views the marriages as no less stable than the norm, while the offspring are seen as strengthened by their marginal experience. These conclusions are of limited use however, for they inaccurately characterize the realities of multiracial life. First, the conclusions are overly simplistic, most often viewing the subject in either/or terms. Ultimately, the population is viewed in caricature. Second, few have examined the actual parental influence on their offspring's racial identity. Finally, the sample considered is usually limited to a particular geographical area or to those with emotional problems. The present study takes a more objective view in examining a population of black Japanese Americans. It is one of the few attempts to interview parents and their offspring to piece together a more accurate picture of multiracial families. Gathered by a snow-ball technique, sixty-one black Japanese were interviewed in four geographical areas. Our sample revealed diverse responses to ostensibly marginal situations. They were found to be tragic and /or able to transcend, falling between the cracks and /or rising above. It ultimately depended upon individual circumstances. Our informants also revealed that applying black identity models as they are to a multiracial population is an imprecise adaptation, for such models ignore distinctive dilemmas faced by this population. This study also suggests a need for a consensus on what basic components make up a "black" identity. Suggestions are made to remedy the limitations of the literature. In the past anyone manipulating a racial identity was viewed as unstable. This study suggests that those who consciously utilize their identities may have stronger self-images than those who don't. Using Frantz Fanon and Paulo Freire as guidelines, some strategies are offered for multiracials to use to manage the myriad social boundaries they encounter.PhDEthnic studiesUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/159841/1/8402386.pd