The Negotiation of Identities: Narratives of Mixed-Race Individuals in Canada

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The Negotiation of Identities: Narratives of Mixed-Race Individuals in Canada The Negotiation of Identities: Narratives of Mixed-Race Individuals in Canada MClanie Jane Knight A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degm of Master OC Arts Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto O Copyright by Mélanie Jane Knight (2001) National Library ' Bibliothbque nationale le1 .,,da du Canada ionsard Acquicitket "9""Bib iographic Services sentices bibliographiques 395 We#tngbn Street 395, rue Wdingtcm Onewa ON KIA ON4 CNawaON KtAW Caneda Canads The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant O la National Library sf Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or selî reproduire, prêter, distribusr ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format dectronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur consave la propndté du copyright in this thesis. Neither the &oit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts f?om it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otheMse de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. The Ncgotiation of Identities: Narratives of Mixed-Race Individuals in Canada Mélanie Jane Knight Master of Arts Sociology and Equity Studia in Education Ontario lnstitute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (2001) Abstract This thesis examines how rnixed-race individuals shape and negotiate their identities and where they situate themselves along the racial continuum. 1 share the stories of five individuals of AfricadCmibeardLebanese and French-Canadian descent. This study is distinct tn that it examines participants' negotiation of two White racially dominant groups, the Anglophone majority and Francophone linguistic minonty who themselves differ in social and economic status. It was found that participants' self-identification as individuals ofcolour was not an indicator of their participation within subordinate groups. Participants chose to situate themselves at different locations on the racial continuum, either participating within Whiteness, Blackness or both. Negotiations within certain locations on the continuum was found to bring benefits, depend to some extent on phenotype, cause tension and contradiction, to be influenced by racism and racial consciousness and to be complicated by language and ethnicity. 1 would like to thank rny supe~sorDr. Sherene Razack for her dedication, patience and wisdom throughout this entire project. As a woman of colour, 1 have leamed a great deal fiom her and dedicate my new found interest in doing anti-racist work to her. She has ignited a Barne within me that will last for a lifetime. 1 would also like to thank Dr. Diane Gérin-Lajoie who not only provided me with acadernic support but much personal guidance. Her dedication, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated. Un gros merci. I owe a great deal to the six participants who participated in this study for without them this project would not have been possible. 1 thank al1 of you for your time and interest in this project. Finally, 1 wmld like to thank my parents. Vicky and Rocky Knight and my partner Anthony N'kacha Semesi for their patience, help and words of encouragement. 1 love al1 of you. Table of Contents .. Abstract .............................................................11 Acknowledgements ...................................................iii Introduction ........................................................ vii Chapter One: Understanding the Mixed-Race Individual ........................ I Miscegenation .................................................. 2 Early Considerations of Mixed-Race Individuals ......................... 4 Earlier Studies: Psychological Models ........................... 4 Limitations of the Models ....................................8 Ecological Models ......................................... 9 Sociological Studies .............................................11 Later Studies Looking at Sociological Issues .................... 11 Negotiation of Identity ........................................... 18 Negotiations of Race. Culture. Language and Identity ............. 18 French-Canadians and Historical Contexts ............................ 27 Chapter Two: Researching the Performance of Mixed-Race Identity .............. 33 Identity ......................................................33 Theorizing Racism ..............................................40 Understanding Everyday Racism ..............................41 The Structure of Everyday Racism ............................ 42 Methodology .Research Design .................................... 45 Qualitative Research ....................................... 45 Criteria for Inclusion ............................................ 48 Methods of Collecting the Data .............................. 51 Ethical Concerns ......................................... 51 Narratives .................................................... 52 Structure of Narratives ..................................... 52 "Minorizing" the Majority Language ........................... 53 Structure of Results and Discussion ................................. 58 Research Questions ............................................. 60 Chapter Three: My StoryIMa journee ..................................... 61 Chapter Four: Participating Within and Negotiating Whiteness .................. 79 Lyanne's Story ................................................. 81 Karen's Story .................................................. 96 Ann'sStory .................................................. 108 Chapter Five: Hybndity and Perfonning "Blackness" ......................... 120 Martin's Story ................................................121 Chantal's Story ...............................................134 Conclusion ........................................................145 References .........................................................150 Introduction Indifferent one, keep stül. When you stir, you disturb their order. You upset everything. You break the circle of their habits, the circulatory of their exchanges their knowledge, their desire. Their world. Indifferent one. you must n't move, or be moved, unless t hey cal1 you. If t hey say 'corne' then you may go ahead. Barely. Adapting yourself to whatever need they have, or don't have, for the presence of their own image. One step, or two. No more. No exuberance. No turbulence. Otherwise you'll smash everything. The ice, the mirror. Their earth, their mother. And what about your life? You must pretend to receive it tiom them. You're an indifferent, insignificant little receptacle, subject to t heir demands alone. (Irigaray, 1977, p. 185) J'ai le goût de te parler. Mixed-race individuals of French-Canadian ancestry, apart fiom Métis peoples, are non-existent in academic literature. Our voices have never been heard. We need to speak out, share our knowledge and Our experiences. Within this thesis 1 provide a forum for the voices of six mixed-race individuals, including my own, whose Iives, like many others have far too oflen been misunderstood. Various academic fields have contnbuted differently to rnixed-race literature. Studies have focused on a range of issues, such as identity formation, myths surrounding mixed-race individuals, the experience of racism and cultural divide, etc. My work examines how participants negotiate race, culture and language and perfotm their identities along the racial continuum. I conducted serni-stnictured interviews with four rnixed-race rnulticultural individuais of CaribbeadAfican and French-European ancestry and with one individual of French- European and Lebanese heritage. 1 atrempt to better understand their lives and share their experiences of how they self-identik "strategize", perfonn and negotiate themselves in society. Ispecifically examine the negotiation and strategizing of racisrn, discrimination and their various ethnic hentages with the consideration of three studies, Chen (1999), Tizard & vii Pheonix (1993) and Romberg (1996). These negotiations are observeci in terms of location and intensity. More specifically 1 examine where participants negotiate themselves along the racial continuum of Whiteness and Blackness and more specifically what the performance of their identities entails. A distinctive component of my study is the experience of having to negotiate oneself with two dominant racial groups, that being, the dominant White Anglo majority, and the White Francophone linguistic minority. I contend that the battle between these two groups greatly innuences the pmicipants' self-identification. The history of French-Canadians in Canada is distinct and each community holds its own history and experience with the French culture and language. This provides for a unique experience which is important to consider in the participants' lives. 1 argue that rnixed-race individuals' self-identification as persons of colour rnay not coincide with where they participate along the racial continuum. Since nonWhite individuals have little option as to how to self-identiQ, they often selfiidenti@as people of colour. This choice, however, rnay be hollow. For exarnple, choosing to self-identifi as Black rnay not have a great deaf of content
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