The social identity and psychology of mixed-race individuals: An international study

Abstract

Immigration drives population growth in most Western countries. The resulting cultural diversity is accompanied by a sharp rise in mixed-race unions and people with mixed-race heritage. Many studies have investigated ethnic and racial identity and to account for their impact on self-concept, cognition, emotions, and behaviors. Relative to their monoracial counterparts, mixed-race individuals face additional challenges when constructing and expressing their ethnic and racial identity, and these processes are further complicated by how others perceive and label them. Research into mixed-race social identity and the predictors and psychological outcomes of this identity, is still in its infancy. With data gathered from mixed-race individuals living in three countries (Canada, USA, UK), a second order factor structure for operationalizing multidimensional character of mixed-race identity (MRI) is tested. I then investigate how various aspects of MRI are informed by the minority-parent’s ethnic maintenance, and by independent and interdependent self-construals. I also examine how MRI affects collective self-esteem and life satisfaction, and how it associates with a series of pertinent beliefs and opinions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.