Customer Reviews

From Black to Biracial: Transforming Racial Identity Among Americans

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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.

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!

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.