The Mixed Experience Identity and Self-expression in Mixed/Biracial Individuals Living in the United States Ashley Merkl 6237592 [email protected] Advisor: Dr. Deborah Cole Second Reader: Dr. Roselinde Supheert 10.206 Words Running head: THE MIXED EXPERIENCE 1 The Mixed Experience Identity and Self-expression in Mixed/Biracial Individuals Living in the United States Ashley B. Merkl Utrecht University Author Note Ashley B. Merkl, Department of Humanities, Utrecht University. Correspondence regarding this study should be addressed to Ashley Merkl, Department of Humanities, Utrecht University, Utrecht. Contact: [email protected] THE MIXED EXPERIENCE 2 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 7 2 Literature Review.................................................................................................................. 11 2.1 Othering ...................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Identity ....................................................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Biracial Identity development .................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Differences in Men and Women ................................................................................................ 15 2.5 The One Drop Rule, the Brown Paper Bag Test and the Ruler Test and the historical remnants of colonialization ..................................................................................................................................... 16 3 Method .................................................................................................................................. 18 3.1 Materials: .................................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Procedure:................................................................................................................................... 19 4 Results ................................................................................................................................... 23 5 Analysis................................................................................................................................. 35 5.1 Otherness .................................................................................................................................... 35 5.2 Identity ....................................................................................................................................... 37 5.3 Biracial Identity Development ................................................................................................... 38 5.4 Differences in men and women .................................................................................................. 39 5.5 The One Drop Rule .................................................................................................................... 41 6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 44 7 Limitations and Further Research ......................................................................................... 47 7.1 Limitations ................................................................................................................................. 47 7.2 Further Research ........................................................................................................................ 48 8 References ............................................................................................................................. 50 THE MIXED EXPERIENCE 3 List of Figures Figure 1 White House Staff ............................................................................................................ 8 Figure 2 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 1 .................................................................... 23 Figure 3 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 2 .................................................................... 24 Figure 4 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 3 .................................................................... 25 Figure 5 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 4 .................................................................... 26 Figure 6 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 8 .................................................................... 29 Figure 7 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 10 .................................................................. 31 Figure 8 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 11 .................................................................. 32 Figure 9 Mixed/Biracial Identity Survey Question 13 .................................................................. 34 THE MIXED EXPERIENCE 4 Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Deborah Cole. Throughout the process of writing my thesis, Dr. Deborah Cole has not only been supportive but also encouraging. When I struggled collecting data, and was about to change my entire method, she encouraged me to give my approach another try. Due to her constant encouragement, I was able to conduct research that not only resulted in insightful findings, but also taught me a lot. In addition, she helped steer me in the right direction whenever I faced any obstacles in my research and writing processes. I would also like to thank the administrators of the Facebook group “Biracial/mixed ethnic haircare/hairstyles” as well as the administrator of the Facebook group “The mixed Family Community – Multiracial Families and raising Mixed Kids”, who allowed me to post my survey on their pages. In addition, I would like to thank each participant that took part in my survey. The sample for this survey was so specific and limited that I could not even buy responses via SurveyMonkey. Hence, I truly appreciate everyone’s participation. Without their help, I would not have been able to successfully collect data. I would also like to acknowledge my second reader, Dr. Roselinde Supheert. I am truly gratefully for the time I spent in her English class, and the lessons she taught during that time. In addition, I am grateful for her making time to be my second reader, and allowing me to carry out this research. THE MIXED EXPERIENCE 5 Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my family for constantly encouraging me through this entire journey. To my brother Valentino, I am truly grateful for the fact that he helped me by uploading my survey to several different platforms. Because of his relentless effort, I was able to successfully collect data. In addition, I would like to thank my sister-in-law, Nina, for drawing the amazing cover image for me. She went above and beyond and truly tackled my idea. In addition, I would like to thank my mother Deidreann. She encouraged me when I was ready to give up and kept on pushing me. Her help in brainstorming specific ideas related to the study were invaluable. I would also like to thank my father, Stefan, for giving me objective feedback and his honest opinion, whilst encouraging me. Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank my friend and mentor Elisabeth. No matter how short of a notice I gave her, she always supported and advised me so competently and thoughtfully. I am truly thankful for all her help and guidance throughout this project and our exciting upcoming project. THE MIXED EXPERIENCE 6 Abstract With the number of mixed/biracial individuals steadily increasing, questions regarding identity and identity development of said individuals are emerging. For the purpose of this research, whenever the term mixed/biracial, biracial or mixed is used, these terms refer to individuals with one Black and one White parent. The aim of this study is to examine the ways in which mixed/biracial individuals in the United States experience identity. While identity is something that is personal, it is influenced by many societal factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status. Davenport (2016) states that mixed/biracial individuals generally encounter identity and identity development in different ways and further, that women are generally more likely to identify as mixed/biracial versus men. Hence, the study also examined differences that men and women encounter regarding identity and identity development. This is achieved through inspection of previous research found in relevant sources as well as a survey consisting of 13 questions. The survey was uploaded on various online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Reddit. In order to receive credible and conclusive data, the survey was specifically uploaded on pages of said platforms that cater to mixed/biracial individuals living in the United States. Altogether, data was collected from 52 participants of the survey, 12 of which identify as male and 40 as female. The analysis of the survey data as well as the relevant literature reveled that mixed/biracial individuals living in the United States generally tend to self-identify based on what people close to them such as parents, other family members and friends identify them as. The study further found that men are generally more likely to be identified as Black by others than