course »Understanding the Biracial/Multiracial Experience in Order to Better Serve Youth and Families

Date: 4/18/2019, 1:15 pm—4:15 pm
County: Alameda County
Location: Oakland
Sponsor: Seneca Family of Agencies
Phone: 510-654-4004
The conversation and topic of biracial and multiracial identities has exploded over the last 50 years, since the Supreme Court Decision Loving v.Virginia in 1967, which allowed for interracial marriages, and anti-miscegenation laws were finally eliminated in the US in 2000. With the option to mark one or more races introduced in the 2000 census, the multiracial population became much more visible.

In California, 20% of the state’s population identify as multiracial, which is a stark contrast to the national average of 3% identifying as multiracial. As the youth in our communities grow up in these evermore complex racial identities, it is important that we all engage in the conversation about multiracial identities to better understand the generation coming up. This workshop provides context and statistical findings to better understand the complexities of biracial and multiracial identities. Participants will have opportunities to explore the strengths they have identified as being biracial/multiracial, as well as to examine the discriminatory interpersonal dynamics of this identity. We will address the political consequences of identifying or checking the race box of “other”, or being able to now identify as multiple races on the US Census. We will be addressing the personal and interpersonal aspects of the biracial/multiracial identity, as well as the institutional, systemic, and cultural aspects as well.

Participants will come away with deeper knowledge of this topic and how it could be useful in working with system-involved youth and families.