The election of Americas first biracial president brings the question dramatically to the fore. What does it mean to be biracial or tri-racial in the United States today? Anthropologist Stephanie Bird takes us into a world where people are struggling to be heard, recognized, and celebrated for the racial diversity one would think is the epitome of Americas melting pot persona. But being biracial or tri-racial brings unique challenges - challenges including prejudice, racism and, from within racial groups, colorism. Yet America is now experiencing a multiracial baby boom, with at least three states logging more multiracial baby births than any other race aside from Caucasians. As the Columbia Journalism Review reported, American demographics are no longer black and white. In truth, they are a blended, difficult-to-define shade of brown. Bird shows us the history of biracial and tri-racial people in the United States, and in European families and events.
Chapter I PremixedPre-measured: Populace of the New World. Chapter II Too Light to be Black, Too Dark to be White: who is passing for what? Chapter III Tan Territory: eparating Fact, Fiction and Fantasy. Chapter IV Some of Americas Best Known Biracials and Triracials Across History. Chapter V Bricolage: Constructed Identities of Les Gens de Couleur Libre and Cane River Negroes Chapter VI From Italian explorers to Sicilian Contandini and Biracial Royals: the Mixed Race Experience as Illustrated by the Italian Diaspora. Chapter VIII When Things Really Go Wrong: Australias Black/White Debacle. Chapter IX Profiles of Triumph and Courage. Chapter X Current events: In Government, On Campus, the Internet and in the News. Chapter XI Tool Box for Change/Conclusions