Multiracial Americans

Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are people in the United States who have ancestry from two or more races. In the 2020 United States census, about 33.8 million people, or 10.2% of the population, said they were multiracial. This group is growing very fast, increasing by 276% between 2010 and 2020.

Most of this growth was among Hispanic or Latino Americans who identified as multiracial. Many of these people identified as both white and "some other race." Before the mid-20th century, many people hid their multiracial heritage because of racial discrimination against minorities.

After years of laws banning marriages between different racial groups, more people are now openly in relationships with partners of different races. Since 2000, people in the United States have been able to choose more than one race when filling out the census. In 2008, Barack Obama, who has both Kenyan and Scottish ancestors, was elected as the first biracial President of the United States. Today, multiracial individuals live all over the country and come from many different backgrounds, including African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, European American, and Native American communities.

History

Further information: Jim Crow laws, Miscegenation, Mulatto, Colored, and Interracial marriage in the United States

The American people come from many different backgrounds. Some people see themselves as having more than one racial background, while others think of race as something that changes with culture and society. Big movements for civil rights in the middle of the last century helped make sure everyone was treated fairly under the law.

In the past, laws made it hard for people from different racial backgrounds to marry or have families together. Even so, many people still formed families across these lines. By the 2000s, less than 5% of people said they had more than one racial background. Often, a person's mixed background was far back in their family history and didn’t affect how they saw themselves.

Interracial relationships and marriages have been part of American history since the earliest times. In the 17th century, some colonies had rules that said children would take the status of their mother, not their father. This changed things for many families. Over time, laws tried to stop marriages between different racial groups, but people still found ways to build families together.

Interracial relationships go back to when European settlers first came to North America. Early settlers sometimes had families with native women. As more Europeans arrived, some married or formed partnerships with women from native tribes. In the 1600s, colonists brought in African people to work, first as indentured servants and later as slaves. Some African slaves were freed early on.

During colonial times, free white women and free or enslaved African men sometimes formed families. Because the women were free, their children were also free. This is how many free families of color started in places like Virginia.

In 1789, Olaudah Equiano, who had been enslaved in North America, wrote about his life and spoke in favor of people from different backgrounds marrying. By the late 1700s, visitors to the Upper South noticed many slaves who looked like they had European ancestors.

The first U.S. census in 1790 asked people to say if they were white or “other.” Slaves were counted separately. Later, people of African background were called “mulatto” if they looked partly European.

After the American Revolutionary War, more enslaved people were freed, especially in northern states where slavery was ending. Some states took many years to end slavery completely.

One well-known relationship was between President Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, who was enslaved. They had children together, and Jefferson freed them. Because they had mostly European ancestry, they were legally considered white at the time and many of their descendants identified as white.

In the 1900s, new laws tried to keep people separated by race. In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court said these laws were not allowed anymore.

By 1990, the Census Bureau let people choose more than one race when they filled out forms. More and more people are in relationships or families with people from different racial backgrounds. The number of interracial marriages went from 11% of all new marriages in 2010 to 19% in 2019.

Demographics

Further information: Racial and ethnic demographics of the United States

In the United States, many people come from families with ancestors from more than one racial background. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, about 41.8 million people in the U.S. identify as having more than one race, which is about 12.5% of the population. This includes people who may have parents or grandparents from different racial groups.

In 1997, a change was made that allowed people to choose more than one race when filling out official forms. This change was fully used starting with the 2000 United States Census. People could pick from six main racial groups: White, Black or African-American, Asian, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and "Other."

Some people feel it is important to recognize all parts of their family history. Others think that having many different groups makes it harder to understand groups of people who share similar histories. As time goes on, more families in the U.S. have members from different racial backgrounds, whether through marriage, relationships, or adoption.

Multiracial American identity

Further information: Biracial and multiracial identity development, Multiracialism, and Racial isolates in the United States

Multiracial Americans are people in the United States who have parents from two or more different racial backgrounds. For much of U.S. history, society often forced people to identify with just one race, usually following rules that traced a person’s race back to their mother. These rules changed over time and varied by state, sometimes meaning that even a small amount of ancestry from a certain group could decide a person's racial identity.

In more recent years, especially since the 1970s, many people and groups have worked to allow individuals to recognize and celebrate all of their racial backgrounds. This change has been supported by laws and growing acceptance in society. By 2010, about 15% of new marriages in the United States were between people of different races, which is more than double the percentage in 1980. Many multiracial people today feel free to embrace all parts of their heritage, though some still face questions about how to identify themselves. Some, like the athlete Tiger Woods, have even created new ways to describe their mixed backgrounds.

Native American or Indigenous identity

See also: Genetic history of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native American identity in the United States, Native American genealogy, and Native American tribal rolls

Many Native American tribes, especially those in the Eastern United States, are made up of people who clearly identify as Native American, even though many of them have mostly European ancestry. Over 75% of members of the Cherokee Nation have less than one-quarter Cherokee ancestry. The former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Bill John Baker, is only 1/32 Cherokee, which is about 3%.

Historically, governments forced many Native Americans to change their ways of living to fit into American society. This included changing their language and religion. Children were sometimes sent far away to special schools that were not like their homes. Those who looked like they could pass as white sometimes had advantages. Over time, many Native Americans have lighter skin like White Americans due to mixing over generations. Native Americans often marry outside their group more than members of other racial groups, which means that fewer people today have a strong Native American background. Some tribes do not allow people to remain members unless they can prove their Native American ancestry.

Contested Indigenous ancestry

See also: Cherokee descent, Indigenismo in the United States, Indigenous identity fraud in Canada and the United States, Pretendian, and Taíno

In the 2010 Census, nearly 3 million people said they were Native American, including Alaska Native. Over 27% of these people said they were Cherokee. Many people in Virginia trace their family back to Pocahontas or other “Indian princesses.” This is sometimes called the “Cherokee Syndrome.” Some people choose to identify as Native American for various reasons, sometimes joining groups that support this identity.

The amount of Native American ancestry people have can vary. For example, self-identified African Americans on average have about 0.8% Native American ancestry, European Americans have about 0.18%, and Latinos have about 18.0%. However, being recognized as Native American depends on family ties, community, and language, not just ancestry. In Latin America, people with mixed European and Indigenous ancestry are sometimes called mestizos.

Black Indians in the United States

See also: Black Indians in the United States, Black Seminoles, Native American Freedmen, and hypodescent

There is a long history of relationships between Native Americans and African-Americans that is often overlooked. Records show that in 1502, the first Africans brought to the Americas as slaves escaped and joined with Native Americans in what is now Haiti. Similar events happened in 1526 in what is now South Carolina, where enslaved Africans fled and joined with local Native Americans.

European colonists sometimes made agreements with Native American tribes to return any escaped slaves. However, there are no records of slaves being returned after such agreements. Many Native Americans and Africans learned about each other mainly through slavery. Some tribes encouraged marriages between Africans and Native Americans because they believed children from these unions would be healthier. For African-Americans, having even a small amount of non-African ancestry was often hidden because of social rules.

European ancestry among Native Americans

See also: Métis in the United States, hyperdescent, and Slavery among Native Americans in the United States

Relationships between Native Americans and Europeans go back to the earliest days of colonization. Many early European settlers, mostly men, married Native American women or formed unions with them. For example, Pocahontas, a Powhatan woman, married John Rolfe, a colonist from Jamestown, in 1614. Their son, Thomas Rolfe, is an ancestor of many families in Virginia today.

Some Europeans lived among Native Americans for years, learning their languages and customs. Traders and trappers often married Native American women, sometimes for political reasons. In some cases, these men had families with Native American women while also having legal wives in cities. Not all of these men abandoned their mixed-race children; some sent their sons to schools in European-American communities.

Most marriages between Europeans and Native Americans were between European men and Native American women. The social identity of their children depended on the tribe’s customs. In matrilineal tribes like the Creek and Cherokee, mixed-race children were usually considered Native American because they were born into their mother’s clan. In patrilineal tribes like the Omaha, mixed-race children were often seen as white unless adopted into the tribe.

Black and African-American identity

See also: Atlantic Creoles, Brandywine people, Brass Ankles, Chestnut Ridge people, Free people of color, High yellow, Hypodescent, Louisiana Creole people, Melungeon, Mulatto, and Redbone (ethnicity)

People with roots in Africa have often been called black or African-American in the United States, even if they have ancestors from Europe or Native American groups. This is because of laws and ideas from history that said anyone with African heritage should be considered black. Over time, many families with mixed backgrounds chose to join white society for better opportunities.

Tracing family history for African-Americans can be hard because old records didn’t always include the names of enslaved people. Some families kept their stories alive through spoken words instead of writing. In the past, the government used different words to describe people of mixed race, but later changed to simpler labels.

Since the 1990s, more people have started using words like mixed race, multiracial, and biracial to talk about their family backgrounds. Even so, many people who look African still identify as black or African-American for cultural and family reasons.

President Barack Obama has ancestors from both Europe and Africa, but he identifies as African-American. Studies show that many African-Americans have some European ancestry, with about 20% having more than 25% European roots.

Admixture

Main articles: Admixture in the United States, Miscegenation, One-drop rule, and African Americans

People in the United States decide for themselves how they describe their race on official forms. African-Americans today have different amounts of ancestry from Europe, Asia, and Native America. For example, a study in 2010 found that African-Americans were, on average, 72.5% African, with some having European or Asian roots too.

Many free African-American families started from unions between white women and African men in old Virginia. These families moved to places like North Carolina and South Carolina. Some Native American women also married African men after many Native men died from diseases and wars. Their children were free because they came from Native mothers.

In the early 1900s, many southern states made strict laws saying anyone with any African ancestry was black. This changed how people were seen and treated. Before that, people were often judged by how they looked and acted, not just by their family history.

Definition of African-American

Since the late twentieth century, more people from Africa and the Caribbean have moved to the United States. Some writers think the term African-American should only describe descendants of people who were enslaved in America long ago. They believe it’s important to recognize the special history and experiences of these families.

White and European-American identity

See also: Admixture in the United States, Race and genetics, White Hispanic and Latino Americans, Amerasian, and hyperdescent

Some well-known families in American history include the Van Salees, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Blacks, Cheswills, Newells, Battises, Bostons, Eldings from the North; the Staffords, Gibsons, Locklears, Pendarvises, Driggers, Galphins, Fairfaxes, Grinsteads, Johnsons, Timrods, Darnalls from the South; and the Picos, and Bushes from the West.

DNA tests show that many people who consider themselves white actually have some non-European ancestors. For example, a study from 2003 found that about 30% of white Americans have less than 90% European ancestry. Another study in 2014 showed that the amount of African or Native American ancestry can vary a lot depending on where people live, with some areas having more mixed heritage.

Racial passing and ambiguity

Main article: Passing (racial identity)

Passing happens when someone is seen as part of a different racial group than their actual ancestry. This idea of passing as white is special to the United States. People sometimes wonder why someone who passes as white isn’t just called white. One reason is that the differences between some racial groups and white people are smaller than the differences between African descendants and white people.

Old laws from the 1600s in America said that if a mother was an enslaved African, her children would also be enslaved, no matter who the father was. Over time, many mixed-race children were born, especially when white men had children with enslaved women. Some people with small amounts of African ancestry chose or were forced to live as white, especially before laws changed to say that anyone with any African ancestry counted as black. Even so, many white Americans today have recent African ancestors.

Hispanic and Latino American identity

Further information: Garifuna Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Black Hispanic and Latino Americans, and Casta

Latino American families often have members who look very different from each other. A Latino couple might have children who appear white, black, Native American, or Asian. Many Latinos choose to identify as "Some other race", while others might see themselves as white, black, Native American, or Asian.

Most Latinos in the U.S. have a mix of European and Indigenous ancestry. Those with mixed European and Indigenous background are sometimes called mestizos. Some Latinos feel that media does not always include people of darker skin tones, often showing lighter-skinned individuals instead.

Pacific Islander American identity

See also: Demographics of American Samoa, History of Guam, and Pacific Islander

In the 1800s, people from Europe and the United States came to the Hawaiian Islands. They often married Native Hawaiian women, including some Hawaiian royalty. This mixing of cultures changed some ideas about beauty among Native Hawaiians.

Today, many Pacific Islanders have mixed ancestry, including European, Native American, and East Asian roots. The Hawaiians used to call these mixed-race descendants hapa, a word that now includes all people with mixed Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. Chinese people also settled in the islands and married into Pacific Islander communities.

Many Pacific Islanders live outside of Hawaii and have different histories, mixing with many other groups beyond just Asian populations.

Eurasian-American identity

An Amerasian is a person born in Asia to an Asian mother and a U.S. military father. Sometimes, the word "Amerasian" is used to talk about anyone with mixed American and Asian parents. Another slang word for these people is "wasian," which has become popular on the internet, especially among younger people.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the number of children in families with parents from different racial backgrounds grew from less than one-half million in 1970 to about two million in 1990.

According to James P. Allen and Eugene Turner from California State University, Northridge, the largest group of people with two different racial backgrounds who are mostly white is white and American Indian or Alaskan Native. Other large groups include white and black, white and Asian, and white and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

The U.S. Census groups Eurasian answers in the "some other race" part of the Asian race. The Eurasian groups the U.S. Census officially recognizes are Indo-European, Amerasian, and Eurasian.

Afro-Asian-American identity

Main article: Afro-Asians

Many Chinese people came to the United States to work, especially on the West Coast. After some changes in the 1800s, some Chinese workers stayed and married people from black communities because they faced discrimination. They moved away from labor jobs and opened small shops instead.

By the 1950s, more people with mixed African and Asian backgrounds were born, often because of relationships formed when African American soldiers were stationed in Asian countries. This included people with roots in the Caribbean and India as well.

As of the census of 2000, there were 106,782 people in the United States who identified as having both Afro-Asian backgrounds.

In fiction

Some famous books and stories have characters who have parents from different racial backgrounds. These characters often face special challenges because of their mixed heritage.

For example, in older stories from the time of slavery, authors wrote about mixed-race women who were raised like white people but faced hard times when their family’s money ran out. Writers used these characters to show the unfairness of slavery.

Later writers like Charles W. Chesnutt and William Faulkner told more complex stories about mixed-race people living in the years after the Civil War. They showed how these characters dealt with changing attitudes about race.

Some movie writers have used mixed-race characters to talk about racism, but sometimes they have used old stereotypes. For example, they might show a character struggling to fit in because of their background, or they might tell a story that reinforces unfair ideas about people of mixed heritage.