A primary strength of multiracial families is their diversity, their unique family blend. Multiracial families inherently have different physical appearances, experiences, and viewpoints. These viewpoints are often influenced by how society racially perceives an individual, and the individual’s encounters with the world. Valuing and honoring this intra-family diversity while maintaining the family as a unit can be uniquely challenging.

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

The importance of valuing diversity within the family, in the larger community, throughout the country, and in the world

STANDING OUT

The emotional impact of being conspicuous as a multiracial family and as a multiracial individual

SELF-IDENTITY AND PASSINGS

Identifying yourself as a member of a multiracial family or as a multiracial individual, and the issue of passing

QUESTIONS

Handling various kinds of questions from strangers, acquaintances, friends, and family; answers, strategies, and goals.

SAFE SPACE

Establishing emotionally safe space for your family and for your children, including: home and immediate family, friends, extended family, school, and community.

SCHOOL

Resources for helping teachers and staff understand and properly support multiracial families.

 

MULTIRACIAL FAMILY GROUPS

Search Suggestions: To find existing multiracial family groups in a community, mix up the words you use to search online or in the phonebook. Online, include the state or town and then try the words multiracial, multicultural, interracial, intercultural, or biracial. To further focus your search, also use the word family or families.
WEB RESOURCES
 

Ipride: Interracial, Intercultural Pride
www.ipride.org

California

Biracial Family Network
www.bfnchicago.org

Chicago, Illinois

New England Alliance of Multiracial Families
www.neamf.org

Boston, Massachusetts

Education and Schooling

Second only to home, children spend more time at school than anywhere else. Our children’s educational environment is vitally important to their development of a positive self-image. Children from multiracial families often present teachers with unique educational needs.
WEB RESOURCES
 

Rethinking Schools
www.rethinkingschools.org

Quarterly magazine and other publications committed to equity and to the vision that public education is central to the creation of a humane, caring, multiracial democracy

Teaching for Change
www.teachingforchange.org

Provides teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into centers of justice where students learn to read, write and change the world

EdChange
www.edchange.org

Articles, workshops, and consulting dedicated to equity and justice in schools and society.

Teaching Tolerance
www.tolerance.org

Founded by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance provides educators with free educational materials that promote respect for differences and appreciation of diversity in the classroom and beyond.

NOTE: I strongly dislike the word ‘tolerance’ when used to describe an exemplary relationship between differing groups of people. However, Teaching Tolerance offers educational resources with the ‘softest’ approach of the links listed here—which may be where your child’s school is able to start.

Exploring Communities

When thinking about moving to a new community, multiracial families have more than the average number of factors to consider.
WEB RESOURCES
 

Fact Finder
www.factfinder.census.gov

Population, housing, geographic, and economic data for every area of the United States—from the U.S. government census.

City Data
www.city-data.com

Statistics about all U.S. cities/towns including maps, resident information, schools, crime, pollution, weather, photos, and a forum with millions of posts