Biracial and multiracial identity development
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Biracial and multiracial identity development is described as a process across the life span that is based on internal and external forces such as individual family structure, cultural knowledge, physical appearance, geographic location, peer culture, opportunities for exploration, socio-historical context, etc.[1]
Biracial identity development includes self-identification. A multiracial or biracial person is someone whose parents or ancestors are from different racial backgrounds. Over time many terms have been used to describe those that have a multiracial background. Some of the terms used in the past are considered insulting and offensive (mutt, mongrel, half breed); these terms were given because a person was not recognized by one specific race.
While multiracial identity development refers to the process of identity development of individuals who self-identify with multiple racial groups,[1] multiracial individuals are defined as those whose parents are of two or more distinct racial groups.[2]