Mixed Race Studies

The Politics of Parenting in ‘Mixed’ Families: An Autobiographical Account

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association
Atlanta Hilton Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia
2003-08-16

Nora Lester Murad, Founder and Executive Director
Dalia Association

This paper explores common themes in the varied experiences of parents in families that are “mixed” in terms of culture, race, or religion. These themes include identity, location and language, feelings of parental inadequacy, and social support/social sabotage. Drawing heavily on my journals and experience mothering two daughters in an international, bicultural, interfaith family, I highlight the political decisions we make as parents and their implications. I intend to counter the marginalization of mixed families by giving us voice and to use my personal experience as a lens on the changing racial and cultural landscape as it is influenced by conflict and love.  Throughout, I address the complex political and spiritual transformation that is possible through the experience of parenting in a mixed family.

Read the entire paper here.

Second Glances: Two African-American Women Take a Closer Look at their Jewish Identities

Bridges: A Jewish Feminist Journal
Volume 13, Number 2 (Autumn 2008)
pages 52-63

Amy André

Nzinga Koné-Miller

This conversation is co-written by two African American women, one who converted to Judaism and one who was born Jewish. They dialogue about the differences and similarities of their experiences in regard to religious practice, family, community, and hopes for a future that includes practical and widespread recognition of Jews of all races.

‘Canadian’ and ‘Being Indian’: Subject Positions and Discourses Used in South Asian-Canadian Women’s Talk about Ethnic Identity

Culture & Psychology
Volume 15, Number 2 (2009)
pages 255-283
DOI: 10.1177/1354067X09102893

Rebecca L. Malhi
University of Calgary, Canada, rmalhi@ucalgary.ca

Susan D. Boon
University of Calgary, Canada, sdboon@ucalgary.ca

Timothy B. Rogers
University of Calgary, Canada

Ethnic identity descriptions can be viewed as ‘subject positions’ (Davies and Harré, 1990) that are dynamically adopted and discarded for pragmatic purposes through the medium of socialinteraction.  Inthe present paper, we use positioning theory to explore the multiple ways our participants—South Asian-Canadian women—positioned themselves and others in conversations about their ethnic identity.  A discourse analysis of participants’ talk revealed a tendency to privilege a ‘hybrid’ Canadian/South Asian identity over a unicultural one.  Moreover, in the rare instances when participants positioned themselves with a unicultural identity, subtle social pressure from conversational partners seemed to induce them to reposition themselves (or others) with a hybrid identity. We conclude by giving possible reasons for such a preference and by discussing the ways in which the current study corroborates and expands on the extant literature.

Read or purchase the article here.