Raising a Biracial Child

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!Are you raising a mixed-race child? Join our conversation with Nicole Doyley, a biracial woman raising biracial kids, and the author of What About the Children: 5 Values for Multiracial Families.Terminology: what is preferred-biracial, mixed race, multi-racial, mixed?Biracial includes Black/White, Black/Asian, White/Asian, Hispanic/Black, Indigenous/Black/Hispanic. In this interview, we are talking about mixed-race, but families can also be mixed culturally.Is it true that mixed-race is the fastest-growing group in the US?Issues facing biracial people in the US. Based on personal experience as well as a 2020 Vox Survey of Mixed Americans.No man’s land of racelessnessHaving to always answer the question “What are you?”Not fully accepted by either raceWanting to ditch one race so as to be fully the other raceFeeling isolatedConfused identityRejecting the idea of having to fit into just one box As a child, you didn’t like the ambiguity that biracial brought to your life. You say you felt a “two-ness”. But you came to view being of mixed race as a blessing rather than a curse. Why, as a child did it feel uncomfortable to you and how did you grow to accept it?Do you think a mixed-race adopted or foster child being raised by parents of a different race from them but the same shared race with each other will face different challenges? In the past, it was common to tell adoptive/foster/grandparents that the world was going to treat their child as Black (or another race), so you should focus your efforts on raising a Black child and not emphasize their other race. People in the US see race first. How should parents handle it?Does it matter if the child’s dominant features make her look like she fits more squarely in one race?5 values for raising a biracial child:AwarenessHumilityDiversityHonestyExplorationBenefits/advantages to being mixed-race:Can function in both majority and minority environmentsTips for Raising a Mixed-Race ChildSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review.  This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family building