From Black to Biracial: Transforming Racial Identity Among Americans [Paperback]

Kathleen Korgen (Author), Kathleen Odell Korgen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275967441 | ISBN-13: 978-0275967444 | Publication Date: July 30, 1999

Is a person with both a white and African American parent black? Thirty years ago in American society the answer would have been yes. Today, the answer most likely depends on whom you ask. According to the U.S. Census, a person with both a black and a white parent is, in fact, black. However, most young persons who fit this description describe themselves as biracial, both black and white. Most young Americans, whatever their racial background, agree. Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 signaled the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement, a transformation has occurred in the racial self-definition of Americans with both an African American and a white parent. This book describes the transformation and explains why it has occurred and how it has come about. Through extensive research and dozens of interviews, Korgen describes how the transformation has its roots in the historical and cultural transitions in U.S. society since the Civil Rights era. A ground breaking book, From Black to Biracial will help all Americans understand the societal implications of the increasingly multiracial nature of our population. From affirmative action to the present controversy over the U.S. Census 2000, the repercussions of the transformation in racial identity related here affect all race-based aspects of our society. Students and faculty in sociology and multicultural studies, business leaders, and general readers alike will benefit from reading this work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

?Korgen's clear and insightful work is a welcome addition to an emerging topic....Korgen concisely explains the conflicting historical, sociological, and psychological roots and how they have interacted to create the present day biracial individual' - noting all the while that the term biracial is not a classification used by the Census Bureau....Overall, the information presented adds much to a field with little research on the biracial experience. Korgen provides valuable information to our understanding of the experiences of biracial individuals.?-Social Forces

Book Description

Examining the racial self-definition of black/white biracial Americans, this sociological study delves into the current and historical relationship between biracial Americans and the racial structure of the United States.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (July 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275967441
• ISBN-13: 978-0275967444
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,408,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good scholarship, good analysis, timely topic, June 2, 2000

By 

fastreader "fastreader" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Black to Biracial: Transforming Racial Identity Among Americans (Paperback)

Well written and not too dry for the non-academic reader. Good study of the polictics, economics, and social dynamics of racial identity both self-determined and socially forced. Necessarily limited because the author confined her research to only one kind of biracial person and a specific time period (post 60's individuals with one white and one black parent), much larger samplings, studies, and comparisons of other biracial mixes need to be conducted. Specifically studies that begin from the author's conclusions and work forward from there. In addition, terminology needs to be selective and standardized, e.g. the term "light skinned black" is an oxymoron and should not be used by scholars; biracial, multiracial, and interracial are not synonymous and clear usage should be determined at the start of any work of this type; there are also thousands of multigenerational bi/tri racial individuals. Finally, the author was somewhat critical of the Multiracial Movement and I would suggest to her that it's the perfect subject for her next study. She can then examine the differences and similarities of experience of various kinds of mixes and over a longer period of U.S. history and how the social suppression of mixed race status makes it very difficult for the individuals involved to communicate and coalesce into a political alliance.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and still timely book on black/white biracial Americans, May 3, 2009

By 

Patricia Odell (Worcester, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Black to Biracial: Transforming Racial Identity Among Americans (Hardcover)

From Black to Biracial is an excellent, informative, very readable book about multiracial Americans. It succinctly reveals the movement in racial identity of those with both black and white parents from black to biracial. It also challenges the traditional concept of marginalization and provides an updated theory of racial identity. Highly recommended!

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It was okay, but nothing new, October 5, 2008

By 

Yvonne A. Berry (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Black to Biracial: Transforming Racial Identity Among Americans (Paperback)

The book was okay but it was nothing new or that I'd hadn't heard a million times prior. She was very critical of the multiracial movement which was disheartening. This book is written in the prespective that if you are half black then you are all black.