Ch 4: The Contrarieties of (Mixed) Race by Jeff Beaudry https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l Beth Lambert, Catherine Emery, Rika Judd, Mar-E Trebilcock, Susan Wiggin en-us 2022-01-24 19:52:09 UTC 2022-02-06 23:35:18 UTC hello@padlet.com Mar-E's Response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019445666 One way in which the changes to the 2020 Census impacts research on race is on "how we count." Because the new way of counting showed that multiracial populations identified themselves in a wide array of categories, researchers need to account for these differences in new research. As Dr. Anderson points out, "some have questioned the utility of the Census data for studying the multiracial population." (p.98) To me, this suggests a need to gather additional information when engaging in research and not relying solely on Census data when considering multiracial populations.

Another issue at hand that Dr. Anderson discusses is the impact of the Census changes on policy decisions in schools. She points out that, "the differences can affect a whole range of policy decisions and resource distributions, including (but not limited to) boundary setting, analysis of achievement test data, allocation of students to choice programs, and curriculum development. (p. 98) By gathering more nuanced data, the complexity of the data increases. With that comes a responsibility to take good care in analyzing the data and subsequently using it for decision making.]]> 2022-01-29 20:24:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019445666 Mar-E's Micro-agression Response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019453795 Dr. Anderson pulls from Johnson and Nadal's definition of monoracial micro-agressions and describes them as "daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, enacted by monoracial persons that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights toward multiracial individuals or groups." (p. 99) 

As a white woman, I have not personally experienced a monoracial micro-aggression, but as a school principal I have observed plenty. One recent example was when a student of mine, who is mixed race and serves as a member of our district equity and inclusion committee, was described as Black in a committee meeting and asked to speak for the population of Black students in our schools. The student handled the situation skillfully, first by clarifying that they did not feel equipped to speak for the entire Black community of students, especially as a mixed race student. It was clear that this was an unintentional micro-aggression but also one that this student appeared to have dealt with may times before.]]> 2022-01-29 20:39:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019453795 Mar-E's Response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019457487 Dr. Anderson notes that studies on multiracial student outcomes have mixed results, with indications that "differences emerge related not only to identification but also to identity." (p 101) She highlights the complexity of studying multiracial achievement and suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach to this research is inadequate. ]]> 2022-01-29 20:45:46 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019457487 Mar-E's Response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019460464 Dr. Anderson takes the stance that race is a process. She references the "shifting nature of the color line, interactions related to racial identity, racial identification and racial category, " in taking this point of view. Anderson goes on to describe multi-raciality as a moving target, and as the color lines are blurred, our culture doubles down on Whiteness. As she puts it, "Race is being erased while Whiteness is being fortified." (p 105)]]> 2022-01-29 20:51:16 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019460464 Mar-E's Proposed Study https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019464849 As I read this chapter, I thought about a study of middle school students that would explore the experiences of multi-racial students' experiences with micro-aggressions in school. For this study I would ask them to share their backgrounds with me, including how they identify racially. I would ask them to describe their experiences with micro-aggressions in school. I would want to know when the micro-aggressions occurred, who was present, and how it made them feel in the moment. I would want to understand what lingering feelings they had about the micro-aggressions. Finally, I would ask them who, if anyone, they talked about their experiences with and how those conversations felt to them. I would include multi-racial middle school students, with the proper permission secured, in the study. It would be interesting to talk with their parents and teachers, as well, but doing so would depend on the scope of the study and the goals of the research.]]> 2022-01-29 20:59:45 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2019464849 Rika J.- Census https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020441923 1. In spite of the “one or more” category that was added to the 2020 census, it still doesn’t capture the scope of multiracial categories to accurately represent all respondents.

2. Some individuals from multicultural backgrounds consider themselves White and would document it as such, while others consider themselves a different ethnicity, thereby making it impossible to accurately document the numerous variations of categories among multiracial individuals. 

]]> 2022-01-31 01:10:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020441923 Rika J.- Monoracial Micro-Aggressions https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020443991 Monoracism refers to a form of systematic and/or interpersonal oppression directed towards people who do not fit into a single racial category. It can be experienced on an interpersonal, cultural, or institutional level. The author described her experience as more of a micro-aggression in that she felt her sons were perceived differently once it was clear that their mothers’ skin tone was quite different from her sons (p.99). 

Examples of monoracial micro-aggressions:
-  Someone asking a multiracial person “where are you from?” with the assumption that because the person looks multiracial, they must not be from the U.S.
-  Someone assuming that a person from a multiracial background likes or does not like something based on a generalization of their dominant facial and ethnic features.
-  Someone assumes that because a multiracial person has a discernable foreign accent, they are somehow less intelligent than someone that does not have a discernable foreign accent.
]]> 2022-01-31 01:14:43 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020443991 Rika J. - Education https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020444756 Most importantly, Dr. Andersons’ research indicates that hypothesizing comparisons and connections are complex. 

Interestingly, the available research found that students who self-identified as White had significantly lower achievement than their counterparts, which is in direct contrast to other research in which multiracial Whites reported higher outcomes than monoracial Black or Hispanic peers (p.102). 

Dr. Anderson also stressed the complexity and need of future research to identify outcomes for specific multiracial groups, rather than assigning multiracial students to single-race groups or creating a single multiracial category (p. 102). 

Generally speaking, she indicates that future research on the educational outcomes of multiracial students must move beyond the general “multiracial” category (p. 102). 
]]> 2022-01-31 01:15:59 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020444756 Rika J. - Race a condition or a process? https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020448198 The author reiterates her assertion that race is a process. However, in the case of multiracial persons, it is a complicated and conflicted process. Although multiracial persons have some choice in how they identify racially, the ambiguity of their multiculturalism also presents restrictions. The process of quantifying and categorizing race in research is complex due to the many variations of multiracial identification that exist. It’s clear to the author that categorical generalizations are neither effective nor accurate in the research, and, while numerous variations exist, race is all the while examined in comparison to the degree of Whiteness, and is subsequently reviewed through that lens (p. 105).]]> 2022-01-31 01:21:55 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020448198 Rika J. - Proposed Study https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020450129 An example of a qualitative study would be to categorize multiracial persons into subgroups based on their race and ethnicity mix. For example, group 1 would consist of those who primarily identify as Hispanic and also identify as any variation of the following ethnic categories: White, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Group 2 would consist of those who primarily identify as White and also identify as any variation of the following ethnic categories: Hispanic, Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and/or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and so on.

The types of questions asked would consist of those that help to describe individuals' past experiences in various general settings, including work, school, social, and healthcare, among others. The questions would center on recollections of previous experiences, the general impression or feeling about the way they were treated in comparison to someone else while in these settings, whether they ever felt disadvantaged in some way, and whether they feel a sense of belonging or disconnection in each setting and the circumstances around each of these experiences. 
]]> 2022-01-31 01:24:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2020450129 Beth's Census Response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028818301 One of the issues that affect research on race is that certain multi-racial combinations identify themselves monoracially, such as multi-racial people with African ancestry. Another issue that affects research on race is that there is such a side range of experiences multi-racial people have based on their life circumstances, how they appear/ present to others and how they are identified by others.]]> 2022-02-04 04:17:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028818301 Beth's micro-aggression response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028821834 "Monoracial microaggressions are daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, enacted by monoracial persons that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights toward multiracial individuals or groups."
As the white mother of a bi-racial daughter I have witnessed many microaggressions towards my daughter. Most painful for me was the number of times people assumed that she was adopted. ]]> 2022-02-04 04:21:07 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028821834 Beth's connections response https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028823370 Dr. Anderson talks about the results being mixed because multiracial experience has so many different configurations that manifest themselves in different ways.]]> 2022-02-04 04:22:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028823370 Beth's response on central question https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028825675 I believe Dr. Anderson believes race is a process. ]]> 2022-02-04 04:24:45 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028825675 Beth's qualitative study https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028829687 For a purely qualitative study, I would interview multiracial students in Maine. I would want to categorize them by similar combinations of races and then ask questions about their background, parents, relationships with family. I'd want to know about their experience with race and racism in school. I'd want to know if they've ever had teachers who they relate to on a multiracial level. And then I'd like to look across them all and see the similarities and differences between the racial combinations.]]> 2022-02-04 04:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2028829687 Susan's response susanwiggin https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031899742 How we count matters, what we do with the information matters, each individual person's experience with how we are asked to categorize ourselves, particularly in relation to the dominant group matters. How we look at all of this directly relates to policy, practice, macro, mezzo and micro levels of experience. 

I also think about research into students' experiences of how their racial identity impacts their day to day experience in school and how we are (or are not) discussing race and its implications with students.]]> 2022-02-06 22:38:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031899742 Susan's response susanwiggin https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031911989 Dr. Anderson refers to Tutwiler's definition of monoracism as "a form of systematic and/ or interpersonal oppression directed toward people who do not fit into a single racial category."

She refers to Johnston and Nadal's definition of monoracial microaggressions as "daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, enacted by monoracial persons that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights toward multiracial individuals or groups."

The onset of Covid was a difficult time to see examples from monoracial teachers experiencing their students remotely (or not) in their homes when we first started some form of remote learning. There was a marked lack of understanding of why students coming from multiracial homes and low socio economic homes were not able to connect to school. Parents were asked to explain themselves in ways that white parents were not asked to explain themselves. 

More subtle examples include any time material is not translated into a variety of languages and also the practice of assuming literacy in a person's home language.

Referring to groups of students as "them"]]> 2022-02-06 23:00:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031911989 Susan's response susanwiggin https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031918801 I would start by using the pre group questions that are used by the Refugee Trauma and Resilience Center at Boston Children's Hospital. I would elaborate on these questions with students at any age grades 3-12.

These include questions around assimilation, understanding (or lack thereof) of racism within American context, whether or not student's feel heard/ respected/ seen/ acknowledged/ challenged to do good work, and if they experience adults in their school as safe or unsafe to them.]]> 2022-02-06 23:12:05 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031918801 Susan's response susanwiggin https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031922982 I appreciate Dr. Anderson's highlighting of the need for research to focus on outcomes for specific multiracial groups instead of grouping multiracial students into a single kind of catch all category of "multiracial." 

I also appreciate that she acknowledges the importance of studying multiracial students' experiences in schools and also studying the beliefs and actions of teachers and larger context of the school environment and how this helps or hurts multiracial students.]]> 2022-02-06 23:19:44 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031922982 Susan's response susanwiggin https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031931815 Dr. Anderson is unequivocal in her assessment that race is a process. Her closing paragraphs are painful in her consideration of the "...challenging contradictions and conceptual messiness."

"Race is being erased while Whiteness is being fortified." This is a statement that rings true as we watch segments of our country made up of white people doing everything they can to stop and steal people of colors' political power, vote, safety, personhood. This jibes with what we are reading from Lawrence Brown in "The Black Butterfly" as well.]]> 2022-02-06 23:35:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jeffreybeaudry/8f0gpfql38vi972l/wish/2031931815