JAN 103 - Check All That Apply: Being Multiracial and Multiethnic in the US

Instructor(s):  Hirst, Ynez Wilson
Email:  yhirst@stmarys-ca.edu

In this course, we will deeply examine the history and existence of multiracial and multiethnic individuals. Although it wasn’t until 2000 that the US Census recognized the importance and existence of multiracial and multiethnic identities, there is in fact a long history of such individuals and families. The new process of “check all that apply” offers multiracial and multiethnic individuals the opportunity to more accurately reflect their racial identity on the US Census. Multiracial researcher, Cynthia Nakashima states, “Mixed-race people, who do not completely ‘fit in’ to any racial/ethnic groups but who frequently have ties to more than one, should use their neither/both positionality to resist and destroy the dominant racial/ethnic structure” (in Root, ed. 1996:89).
 
Using the literature that dominates the field as a starting point, we will delve more deeply into personal stories-understanding the issues at a more complex and critical level, as we consider the significance of socio-historical time and place. Some of the topics that will be discussed include anti-miscegenation laws, the process by which the US Census adopted the “check all that apply” practice, ethnographies by and about multiracial and multiethnic individuals, and demographics relating to the multiracial and multiethnic population.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 3-CU