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Race to the US Presidency: How to Deal With a Multicultural Generation

Introduction

As more voters focus on the United States presidential election, the media continues to highlight the importance of race in this election. The political boxing match has already begun. The two candidates now face off in a racial controversy. Senator John McClain accused his Democratic opponent of playing the race card. Media commentators started the process of breaking down each and every word. With a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya, Barak Obama makes voters uneasy with his racial background. Some people view him as “too black” while others declare that he is just “not black enough.”  Individuals with a mixed heritage sometimes force people to acknowledge their own prejudices. Growing up in Louisiana, we lived with a one-drop rule.  The one-drop rule holds that individuals with any degree of African ancestry make them 100% black. During slavery and the Jim Crow Era, racial laws were established to prevent intermarriage and co-mingling with other races. In the South, determining one’s race was a fact of life. The term “mulatto” was originally used to describe the union of whites and blacks. From 1870 to 1880, multatto included quadroons, octoroons, and all persons having any perceptible trace of African blood. From this scenario, regardless of the race of the mother, the child is determined black. Therefore, despite a person’s racial preference, society seeks to make its own judgment of an individual based on a person’s skin color.  In most cases, society forces children to make an unconscious decision about race early in life. Likewise, voters are faced with the issues of racial identification in this presidential election. Will race identification play a critical part in the US presidential outcome? Let’s review this matter closer.

Today’s Trend

Demographic shifts are changing society. According to the US 2000 Census, there are 3.1 million interracial couples. Historically, many Americans focused solely on black and white integration. However, this multigenerational movement is far more extensive. According to University of Michigan researchers, Asian Americans have the highest outmarriage rates among racial and ethnic groups (about one and a half million children under age 17 had one Asian parent and another non-Asian parent in 1990). Many of today’s most talented celebrities come from a mixed heritage. They include Dwayne “The Rock,” Halle Berry, Vin Diesel, Derek Jeter, Rachel Smith, and Tiger Woods.  For many young people, the emergence of a multiracial society is normal.  However, many older Americans are not as comfortable with interracial mixing. However, they aren’t the only individuals dealing with racial problems. Many times multiracial children have a difficult time coping with a racially charged society. Charlottle Nitardy, in her article “Identity problems in biracial youth,” noted that biracial children have issues with racial identity problems. In many cases, biracial children are faced with choosing one racial group and rejecting the other in order to survive socially.

The Path Forward

Are the old racial labels outdated for this multiracial generation? Anne Tsui and Barbara Gutek, authors of Demographic Differences in Organizations, maintain that there is still unrest about diversity. They explain, “Below the surface of increased activities and some apparent progress in diversity efforts by companies lie feelings of discomfort, frustration, confusion, and even anger, among women and men, ethnic minorities and the white majority.” Today’s children have no understanding of racial segregation. Dating outside of one’s race is fairly common in most communities. Because of interracial dating, social demographic changes, and individuals’ right to self-determine their racial preference, the census data may make little sense for the America of the future. Unfortunately, society still wrestles with how to deal with this multiracial generation. It would be easier for most Americans to think linearly about race. However, with Obama running on the Democrat ticket, it will not be that simple. As a matter of fact, today’s presidential candidates most deal with a multiracial generation, not a homogenous one.  Can society cope with a growing self-identifying multiracial generation? I am optimistic that society is ready. We can at least consider this matter before November election. The clock is ticking on this generation.

About the Author

Daryl Green, a Knoxville College professor, is a nationally recognized lecturer and author of several books, including Awakening the Talents Within. If you have any questions, you can contact them at www.darylgreen.org.

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