“Stuff that only mixed-race people would understand”: Community and identity-related experiences in online groups for multiracial people

Abstract

Multiracial people are a rapidly growing group who may still lack social support from similar others in their offline lives. This study aimed to understand the user experiences in online groups for multiracial individuals. In a cross-sectional online survey, 300 multiracial emerging adults (79% women; mean age = 23; most common ethnic identity components: 86% White/European, 44% Chinese, 17% Japanese, 16% Southeast Asian, and 13% Filipino) answered open-ended questions about their experiences in Facebook groups for multiracial people. Participants described aspects of the groups they liked and disliked most, as well as their identity-related experiences in the groups. We used reflexive thematic analysis to generate four themes within participants responses: (1) online groups as a gateway into connections with other multiracial individuals, (2) deriving a sense of belonging and community, (3) an opportunity for exploration and validation of racial identity, and (4) negative intrusions such as negative content (e.g., trolling, repetitive posting) and racism. For racial and ethnic minorities such as multiracial individuals, Facebook groups provide a space for community-building and identity-related experiences. Although online groups can foster a strong sense of community, validation, and belonging, findings also highlight potential challenges and limitations (e.g., how to delineate group boundaries, difficulty forming close relationships). Online group users and researchers should explore novel ways of maximizing these positive experiences while addressing users' concerns and negative experiences.