Multiracial in Middle School: The Influence of Classmates and Friends on Changes in Racial Self‐Identification

Abstract

In the present research, the influence of racial diversity among classmates and friends on changes in racial self-identification among multiracial youth was examined (n = 5,209; Mage = 10.56 years at the beginning of sixth grade). A novel individual-level measure of diversity among classmates based on participants’ course schedules was utilized. The findings revealed that although there was some fluidity in multiracial identification at the beginning of middle school, changes in multiracial identification were more evident later in middle school. In addition, although diversity among classmates and friends both increased the likelihood of multiracial identification in the beginning of middle school, only diversity among friends mattered later in middle school, when fluidity in multiracial identification was at its peak.

Why Developmental Researchers Should Care About Biracial, Multiracial, and Multiethnic Youth

“…This is an important consideration because much research on ethnic/racial identity focuses on adolescence. Additionally, because the ethnic composition found in a particular context can affect ethnic/racial identification (i.e., the racial group to which an individual asserts to belong; e.g., Echols, Ivanich, & Graham, ; Harris & Sim, ; Nishina, Bellmore, Witkow, & Nylund‐Gibson, ), multiracial youth may gain early practice with flexibility in their ethnic/racial identification (e.g., identifying at any given time as multiracial vs. one of their monoracial groups).…”

“…This is an important consideration because much research on ethnic/racial identity focuses on adolescence. Additionally, because the ethnic composition found in a particular context can affect ethnic/ racial identification (i.e., the racial group to which an individual asserts to belong; e.g., Echols, Ivanich, & Graham, 2017;Harris & Sim, 2002;Nishina, Bellmore, Witkow, & Nylund-Gibson, 2010), multiracial youth may gain early practice with flexibility in their ethnic/racial identification (e.g., identifying at any given time as multiracial vs. one of their monoracial groups). Anticipation of tensions about racial/ethnic background internally and from others, as well as concerns about multiracial youth's adjustment, may prompt parents to use additional socialization practices (e.g., Brittian et al, 2013;Rollins & Hunter, 2013) that vary from those for monoracial minority youth.…”

Meeting in the Middle: The Role of Mutual Biracial Friends in Cross‐Race Friendships

“…We did not take into account how stronger identification with one racial or ethnic group than another or equal identification with both groups might influence the friendship choices of biracial youth and thus their opportunities to play this role for particular pairings of groups. While there is some evidence to suggest that biracial youth may be more likely to identify with their minority (e.g., Black) than majority (e.g., White) status race (Doyle & Kao, ), racial identity and identification among biracial youth is a complex issue and appears to be influenced by the racial composition of their social networks (Echols, Ivanich, & Graham, ; Rockquemore & Brunsma, ). Other research with monoracial youth documents the influence of racial identity on cross‐race friendships (Rivas‐Drake, Umaña‐Taylor, Schaefer, & Medina, ).…”

School track and ethnic classroom composition relate to the mainstream identity of adolescents with immigrant background in Germany, but not their ethnic identity

“…Recently, scholars call to take greater account of social contexts in research on cultural identity (Echols, Ivanich, & Graham, 2018;Seaton, Quintana, Verkuyten, & Gee, 2017;Syed, Juang, & Svensson, 2018;Umaña-Taylor et al, 2014). Previous work found different aspects of social contexts to be linked with cultural identity, including experiences of perceived rejection and discrimination by the larger society (Suárez-Orozco, Motti-Stefanidi, Marks, & Katsiaficas, 2018;Verkuyten & Yildiz, 2007) and of ethnic socialisation in the family (Phinney, Romero, Nava, & Huang, 2001;Umaña-Taylor, Bhanot, & Shin, 2006).…”

“…Empirical findings corroborate that different aspects of ethnic classroom composition relate differentially to student outcomes (Rjosk, Lüdtke, Richter, & Eccles, 2017). Yet, the limited number of studies that examined the relation of ethnic classroom composition and cultural identity (e.g., Agirdag, Van Houtte, & Van Avermaet, 2011;Echols et al, 2018;Gharaei, Thijs, & Verkuyten, 2019;Phinney, Romero et al, 2001) typically include a single indicator of ethnic classroom composition.…”