Mixed Race Studies

The Clamorgans: One Family’s History of Race in America [Review: Eubanks]

The Washington Independent Review of Books
2011-07-04

W. Ralph Eubanks, Director of Publishing at the Library of Congress
Author of Ever Is a Long Time and The House at the End of the Road

Julie Winch, The Clamorgans: One Family’s History of Race in America, New York: Hill and Wang, 2011. pp. 424.

In spite of the prominent role of race in our culture, American society has spent more than 200 years trying to find a way to downplay the role of it—whether through proclaiming our society color blind or a melting pot—with varying levels of success. Consequently, there are numerous stories of how race manifests itself as America’s original sin, many involving families that crossed and bridged racial lines, including my own family’s story. Few of these stories are as complicated and fascinating as the one Julie Winch tells in The Clamorgans: One Family’s History of Race in America.
 
Through the life and times of one American family, the Clamorgans of St. Louis, Missouri, Winch traces the evolving role race has played in family life, the law and broader American society, from slavery to abolition, to Reconstruction and beyond. Today’s millennial generation would label the Clamorgans as multiracial. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, and well into the 20th century, the one-drop rule marked them with a taint of African ancestry, in spite of appearances to the contrary. Still, the Clamorgans challenged traditional notions of race and identity and carefully negotiated a way through society’s complicated racial maze. To do this, they used the same confusing twists and turns used to define them as a means of furthering their own interests. As the author notes, the Clamorgans’ story is one of money, land, power and race. But at its core this is the story of a family with a scrappy survival instinct that transcends race, which is why the reader gets drawn into this saga quickly….

…Money was a means of whitening, since “a dark-skinned individual with money often made the transition from ‘black’ to ‘mulatto.’ The Clamorgans and other mixed-race people took the next step, moving from ‘mulatto’ to ‘white.’ ” Sometimes it was for a reason, other times it was because the census takers were confused by a person’s appearance or last name. In St. Louis, some names were exclusively “colored,” while others were exclusively white. Certain names existed in both communities, making the census taker’s job more complicated…

Read the entire review here.

A Breath of Freedom: The Civil Rights Struggle, African American GIs, and Germany

Palgrave Macmillan
September 2010
282 pages
6 x 9 1/4 inches, Includes: 50 pgs illus
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-230-10473-0, ISBN10: 0-230-10473-8
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-230-10472-3, ISBN10: 0-230-10472-X

Maria Höhn, Professor of History
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York

Martin Klimke, Research Fellow
German Historical Institute, Washington, D.C.

Based on an award-winning international research project and photo exhibition, this poignant and beautifully illustrated book examines the experiences of African American GIs in Germany and the unique insights they provide into the civil rights struggle at home and abroad. Thanks in large part to its military occupation of Germany after World War II, America’s unresolved civil rights agenda was exposed to worldwide scrutiny as never before. At the same time, its ambitious efforts to democratize German society after the defeat of Nazism meant that West Germany was exposed to American ideas of freedom and democracy to a much larger degree than many other countries. As African American GIs became increasingly politicized, they took on a particular significance for the Civil Rights Movement in light of Germany’s central role in the Cold War. While the effects of the Civil Rights Movement reverberated across the globe, Germany represents a special case that illuminates a remarkable period in American and world history.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Closing Ranks: World War I and the Rise of Hitler
• Fighting on Two Fronts: World War II and Civil Rights
• “We Will Never Go Back to the Old Way Again”: African American GIs and the Occupation of Germany
• Setting the Stage for Brown: Desegregating the Army in Germany
• Bringing Civil Rights to East and West: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Cold War Berlin
• Revolutionary Alliances: The Rise of Black Power
• Heroes of the Other America: East German Solidarity with the African American Freedom Struggle
• A Call for Justice: The Racial Crisis in the Military and the GI Movement
• Epilogue

The Clamorgans: One Family’s History of Race in America

Hill and Wang (an imprint of Macmillan)
May 2011
432 pages
6 x 9 inches, 8 Pages of Black-and-White Illustrations
ISBN: 978-0-8090-9517-9, ISBN10: 0-8090-9517-3

Julie Winch, Professor of History
University of Massachusetts, Boston

The historian Julie Winch uses her sweeping, multigenerational history of the unforgettable Clamorgans to chronicle how one family navigated race in America from the 1780s through the 1950s. What she discovers overturns decades of received academic wisdom. Far from an impermeable wall fixed by whites, race opened up a moral gray zone that enterprising blacks manipulated to whatever advantage they could obtain.

The Clamorgan clan traces to the family patriarch Jacques Clamorgan, a French adventurer of questionable ethics who bought up, or at least claimed to have bought up, huge tracts of land around St. Louis. On his death, he bequeathed his holdings to his mixedrace, illegitimate heirs, setting off nearly two centuries of litigation. The result is a window on a remarkable family that by the early twentieth century variously claimed to be black, Creole, French, Spanish, Brazilian, Jewish, and white. The Clamorgans is a remarkable counterpoint to the central claim of whiteness studies, namely that race as a social construct was manipulated by whites to justify discrimination. Winch finds in the Clamorgans generations upon generations of men and women who studiously negotiated the very fluid notion of race to further their own interests. Winch’s remarkable achievement is to capture in the vivid lives of this unforgettable family the degree to which race was open to manipulation by Americans on both sides of the racial divide.

Table of Contents

Introduction: “The Clamorgans Are Fighters”
1. Sieur Jacques
2. “Ester, a Free Woman of Color'”
3. Natural Children
4. “In Them Days Everything Was Free and Easy”
5. The Aristocracy of Color
6. A Settling of Scores
7. An Independent Man
8. Thickets of the Law
9. The Mathematics of Race
10. “Well Known in Negro Circles”
11. Defining Whiteness
12. On the Fringes
Epilogue: Clamorgan Alley
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index

Read Chapter 1 here.

The Influence of Race and Ethnicity on Substance Use and Negative Activity Involvement among Monoracial and Multiracial Adolescents of the Southwest

Journal of Drug Education
Volume 39, Number 2 (2009)
Pages 195-210

Kelly Faye Jackson, Assistant Professor of Social Work
Arizona State University, Phoenix

Craig W. LeCroy, Professor of Social Work
Arizona State University, Phoenix

This study examined predictors of substance use and negative activity involvement among a diverse sample of European American, African American, Hispanic, Native American, and multiracial early adolescents (n = 749) living in a large urban city in the Southwest United States. This study investigated a broad set of predictor variables that tap sociodemographic, peer, family, community, and school influences. Overall, findings from this study confirm that lifetime substance use remains high among youth of color. Of particular concern is this study’s finding that multiracial adolescents are at elevated risk to use substances and engage in negative activities. The implications of this study for understanding how risk factors are influenced by race and other variables on different measures of problem behavior are discussed.

Read or purchase the article here.

Identifying Interventions to Improve the Retention of Biracial Students: A Case Study

Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice 
Volume 5, Number 4 (2003-2004)
pages 349-363

Nicole Sands
Johnson & Wales University, Colorado

John H. Schuh, Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University

Biracial students represent a growing number of students on many campuses and an increasingly significant segment of the population of the United States. Nevertheless, this group of students rarely has been studied with respect as to how their experiences affect persistence at colleges and universities. This case study reports on the experiences of biracial students at one institution. It also analyzes their racial identity development and presents recommendations designed to improve their persistence to graduation framed by Tinto’s theory of academic departure. Recommendations for additional study are presented.

Read or purchase the article here.

College Students’ Multiracial Identity Perceptions and Experiences of Programs and Associations

Oregon State University
2011-04-19
89 pages

Lauren S. Plaza

A Thesis submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science

This thesis examined the identity transitions that occurred prior to enrollment at a predominantly, White, large, public research university and after completing at least one year of college for students who identify as multiracial. As a secondary purpose, this thesis also examined whether these students sought support through groups that are similar to their ethnic and cultural identities. Using a sample of 10 interviews and a review of the secondary research literature, the principal findings of this thesis are that multiracial students identify differently based on their age, physical appearance, and consciousness about their racialized heritage. Participation in student programs and associations was examined in conjunction with student identity development. In order to encourage success for the multiracial students at a large, public, research institution, the findings from this research suggest that there is a need to expand existing monoracial programs to include broader definitions of racialized categories. There is also a need to develop new programs and associations that are specifically targeted to multiracial students. By making these changes university administrators may be able to support the adjustment and transition to college for students who are often not included in one of the five recognized racial categories.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Chapter 1: Introduction
  • United States Data and National Trends
  • Higher Education and Multiracial Students
  • Research topic and Proposed Thesis
  • Definition of Key Terms
• Chapter 2: Literature Review
  • History of Higher Education and Access for Students of National Data
  • Multiracial Students on College Campuses and Related Theories
  • Assessment of Current Services and Programs
  • Conclusion
• Chapter 3: Methods
  • Research Design Overview
  • Participants and Recruitment Methods
  • Data Analysis
  • Personal Disclosure
  • Summary
• Chapter 4: Results
  • Data Collection
  • Summary of Participants
  • Summary
• Chapter 5: Conclusion
  • General Conclusions
  • Anticipated Findings
  • Unanticipated Findings
  • Implications for Practice
  • Limitations
  • Recommendations for Further Research
  • Concluding Thoughts
• References
• Appendices

Read the entire thesis here.

Brown on the Inside: Multiracial Individuals and White Privilege

Oregon State University
2011-04-27
147 pages

Shannon D. Quihuiz

A Thesis submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Biracial and Multiracial people are one of the fastest growing racial groups in the United States. Individuals with a mixed identity have the ability to choose endless racial/ethnic designations that best exemplify their racial/ethnic social identity. However, people who are racially/ethnically mixed may receive criticism if their proclaimed identity does not coincide with the societal perceptions of their racial/ethnic identity. People who identify with more than one race or ethnicity and have White ancestry can be perceived as White by society. Therefore, Biracial and Multiracial people have the ability to pass as White if they have White ancestry and appear White. This study explored racially/ethnically mixed peoples’ perceptions of passing as White. Qualitative surveys were conducted to find if Biracial and Multiracial people thought they could pass as White.

When Biracial and Multiracial people have the ability to pass as White, they are associated with the White group. Association with the White group equates to being afforded advantages and benefits. Thus, White privilege may be afforded to racially/ethnically mixed people who pass as White. Qualitative interviews were used to explore if Biracial and Multiracial people identified with having White privilege. The research also examined the connection between Multiracial/ethnic people who can pass as White and White privilege. Findings suggest racially/ethnically people who can pass as White identified with having White privilege. Moreover, participants and a research team evaluation identified factors that contribute to passing as White. The findings presented in this study are significant as it explores the intersection between Biracial and Multiracial identity, passing as White, and White privilege. The information presented in this study implies that the phenomenon of passing is an important concept toward social justice and racial equity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
  • Background of the Study
  • Statement of the Problem
  • Purpose of the Study
  • Significance of the Study
  • Overview of the Methodology
  • Definition of Terms
  • Summary
• CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
  • Multiracial Identity
    • Race and Ethnicity
    • Identity Development
  • Passing as White
    • Elements of Passing
    • Construction of Passing as White
  • White Privilege
    • Characteristics of Privilege
    • Becoming Aware of White Privilege
  • Summary
• CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
  • Purpose of the Study
  • Research Design
    • Participants and Recruitment
    • Two-Phased Approach
  • Data Collection
  • Data Analysis
  • Human Participants Protection and Confidentiality
  • Perspective of the Researcher
  • Perspective of the Research Team
  • Limitations
  • Summary
• CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION
  • Participants
    • Anne
    • Chris
    • Daniel
    • Emma
    • Greg
    • Jill
    • Kayla
    • Laura
    • Lynn
    • Theresa
  • Categorizing the Data
    • Theme 1: White Privilege
    • Theme 2: Navigating Social Circles
    • Theme 3: Burden
  • Summary
• CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • Summary of the Study
  • Conclusions
    • Research Question 1
    • Research Question 2
    • Research Question 3
  • Implications
  • Recommendations for Future Research
  • Concluding Thoughts
• REFERENCES
• APPENDICIES

LIST OF TABLES

• Table Page
• Table 1. Participant Demographic Information
• Table 2. Participant Racial/Ethnic Identity and Perceptions of Passing as White
• Table 3. Themes and Categories

LIST OF APPENDICES

• Appendix Page
• Appendix A: Recruitment E-Mail
• Appendix B: Recruitment Flyer
• Appendix C: Standard Response to E-Mail Inquiries
• Appendix D: Informed Consent Form
• Appendix E: Participants’ Intake Form
• Appendix F: Research Team’s Evaluation Form
• Appendix G: Interview Questions

Read the entire thesis here.

Cultural education of mixed heritage children by single mothers: A narrative inquiry of ethnic identity development

University of Wyoming, Laramie
May 2011
150 pages
Publication Number: AAT 3453892
ISBN: 9781124624242

Lay-nah Blue Morris

A Dissertation submitted to the Counselor Education and Supervision Department and the University of Wyoming in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in COUNSELOR EDUCATION AND SUPERVISION

The purpose of this study was to discover how single mothers of mixed heritage children educated their children on their culture and ethnicity. Through the process of narrative inquiry, the impact this education had on the development of the cultural and ethnic identity of these children, who are now adults, was also explored. This study contributes to understanding the identity formation of mixed heritage individuals and the implications for multicultural counseling.

Table of Contents

• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Acknowledgements
• Table of Contents
• CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
  • Statement of Problem
  • Purpose of Study
  • Research Questions
  • Discussion of Terms
• CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW
  • The Nature of Identity
  • Ethnic Identity Development Models
  • Influential Factors Contributing to Ethnic Identity Development
  • Recognizing Racial Difference
  • Formation of Family Identity
  • Myths of Multiracial People
  • Transmission of Culture
  • How Families Transmit Culture and How This Impacts Ethnic Identity
  • Summary
• CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
  • Conceptual Framework
  • Nature of Narrative Inquiry
  • Role of the Researcher
  • Research Questions
  • Participants
  • Data Sources
  • Interview Guide
  • Data Collection
  • Data Analysis
  • Research Ethics
  • Trustworthiness
  • Conclusion
• CHAPTER IV: PARTICIPANT NARRATIVES
  • Robert
  • Janet
  • Interlude
  • Ama
  • Neesa
  • Interlude
  • Michael
  • Gwen
  • Interlude
  • Summary
• CHAPTER V: CODA
  • Connection to Prior Research
  • Implications for Best Practices of Counselors
  • Implications for Counselor Education
  • Implications for Social Justice
  • Limitations
  • Future Research
• REFERENCES
• APPENDICES
  • IRBProposal
  • Informed Consent
  • Investigator Statement
  • Email to Participants

Purchase the dissertation here.

Atlantic Creoles in the Age of Revolutions

Harvard University Press
ISBN 9780674035911
February 2010
352 pages
5-1/2 x 8-1/4 inches, 21 halftones, 2 maps

Jane G. Landers, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of History
Vanderbilt University

2011 Rembert Patrick Award, Florida Historical Society

Sailing the tide of a tumultuous era of Atlantic revolutions, a remarkable group of African-born and African-descended individuals transformed themselves from slaves into active agents of their lives and times. Big Prince Whitten, the black Seminole Abraham, and General Georges Biassou were “Atlantic creoles,” Africans who found their way to freedom by actively engaging in the most important political events of their day. These men and women of diverse ethnic backgrounds, who were fluent in multiple languages and familiar with African, American, and European cultures, migrated across the new world’s imperial boundaries in search of freedom and a safe haven. Yet, until now, their extraordinary lives and exploits have been hidden from posterity.
 
Through prodigious archival research, Jane Landers radically alters our vision of the breadth and extent of the Age of Revolution, and our understanding of its actors. Whereas Africans in the Atlantic world are traditionally seen as destined for the slave market and plantation labor, Landers reconstructs the lives of unique individuals who managed to move purposefully through French, Spanish, and English colonies, and through Indian territory, in the unstable century between 1750 and 1850. Mobile and adaptive, they shifted allegiances and identities depending on which political leader or program offered the greatest possibility for freedom. Whether fighting for the King of Kongo, England, France, or Spain, or for the Muskogee and Seminole chiefs, their thirst for freedom helped to shape the course of the Atlantic revolutions and to enrich the history of revolutionary lives in all times.

Racial Taxonomy in Genomics

Social Science & Medicine
Volume 73, Issue 7, October 2011
pages 1019–1027
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.07.003

Catherine Bliss, Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, Race and Science Studies
Department of Africana Studies
Brown University

This article examines the reflexive, biosocial nature of genomic meaning making around race, drawing on discourse analysis of 732 articles on genomics and race published from the years 1986 to 2010, in-depth interviews with 36 of the world’s most elite genomics researchers, interviews with 15 critics, policymakers, and trainees involved in debates over race, and participant observation at a core genotyping facility that specializes in ancestry estimation. I reveal how biomedical researchers identify with, value, and make sense of the taxonomies they construct. My analysis goes beyond a consideration of instrumental rationales to analyze the experiential and political motivations that shape how researchers get involved in racial ethical dilemmas. I theorize taxonomic practice as a reflexive form of biosociality, a conscious shaping of social notions about biology and race to produce a future that researchers themselves want to live in. I demonstrate how reflexive biosociality paradoxically leads researchers to advance social explanations for race while investing in genomics as a solution to racial quandaries.

Read or purchase the article here.