Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Family and Consumer Sciences

Campbell Hall 1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210

Growing Up in Multicultural Families

HYG-5222-96

There are more than 700,000 interracial married couples in the United States and an estimated hundreds of thousands to almost five-million interracial or multicultural children. Statistics on children of multicultural families are difficult to obtain because no official U.S. Census category exists for people of mixed parentage. Even on official documents, such as birth certificates, no classification is available for children whose parents are not of the same race or culture. Some interracial parents would like to do away with classifications altogether, while others believe the classifications should recognize the children's dual heritage.

What is it like to grow up in one of these multicultural families? Evidence from several studies shows that biracial children are developing as healthy, strong individuals. Most of the young people interviewed for these studies were of Black/White heritage and appeared to be high achievers with no major social or psychological problems. According to one of the researchers, multicultural young people who have learned to cope in a racist society often have high self-esteem and a strong sense of personal identity.

This positive development can often be attributed to the parents' view of the world and the way they handle their cultural differences. Parents who are comfortable with their own cultural heritage can help their children understand and embrace both cultures as they are growing up. Even though individuals in a family may at times be victims of racism within society, it does not have to be a reality of their family life. How parents communicate these differences to their children greatly influences their growth.

Differences in interracial and intercultural families can lead to conflict as to how children are reared and which culture they follow. However, many families use their differences as learning tools. When cultural differences, such as using both languages in Hispanic/Anglo homes, are respected, children learn to accept and be proud of both cultures. When conflicts do arise in multicultural homes, as in other homes -- such as food customs, parental roles, and rules for dating -- parents may develop creative ways to solve the problems showing equal respect for both cultures. Resolving serious conflicts is not an easy matter in any family, but children whose multicultural families successfully solve problems of cultural differences usually exhibit pride in their dual heritage.

How others or people outside the family view multicultural families is also important. Sometimes these families are termed unstable and peculiar even though they may be "normal" and strong. When children of multicultural families have problems, many people often blame those problems on the interracial makeup of the family. Parents may also begin to view their children's problems as race-related when they may actually result from developmental stages or other areas that have nothing to do with race or culture.

Support groups for interracial families are being started in many large cities across the U.S. They have been formed to provide positive settings for education and multicultural social activities. The groups serve both adults and youth and help them deal positively with bigotry and prejudice from others. Group members also strengthen each other as they strive to raise their families to be loving, strong, responsible adults.

Parents and educators who acquire a broad knowledge of diverse cultures can use that knowledge to broaden a child's awareness and respect for differences in race, culture, gender, etc. This in turn will increase the child's security, his or her sense of belonging, and his or her self-confidence. All of these life skills help enhance the child's ability to learn and adapt to school and culture in general.

Learning to live and help others, especially children, live in a multicultural society is not an easy task. Children who grow up in strong multicultural families can learn, however, that cultural diversity is an integral part of life.

References

Gay, Kathlyn (1988). Changing Families. New York: Enslow.

Hammer, Tommie J. and Turner, Pauline H. (1985). Parenting in Contemporary Society. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Williams, Dr. Maudie (1992). "Empowering Parents with Anti-Racist Tools", Minneapolis, MN: Family Information Services.

Prepared by

Pat Shenberger
OSU Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences
Ashland County