Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families [Paperback]

Gigi Kaeser (Author), Peggy Gillespie (Author), Glenda Valentine (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

Based on an award-winning photo exhibit, this book documents the feelings and experiences of Americans who live in multiracial families. Contradicting stereotypes, members of 39 families have much to say about the most intimate form of integration, familial love, and this love is made visible in the superb photographs by Gigi Kaeser. 50 duotones .

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

One of the visible effects of our increasingly diverse society is multiracial children. The New York Times has estimated that the number of those children has jumped by 300 percent since the 1970 census. In this compendium, the catalog of an award-winning exhibition that has been traveling since 1993, photographer Gigi Kaeser and interviewer Peggy Gillespie profile 39 families with multiracial children. (Kaeser and Gillespie are codirectors of Family Diversity Projects, Inc, in Amherst, Massachusetts.) By using photographs and interviews with both parents and children, the authors show us the joys and frustrations inherent in being multiracial in a country that officially recognizes only five racial categories. This book will be useful to parents who want to show the variety of family life to their children, to teachers exploring issues of race and identity, and to readers trying to understand the current proposal to add a multiracial category to the decennial census for the year 2000. Recommended for all public libraries.?Nora Harris, Corte Madera Regional Branch Lib., Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558491015
• ISBN-13: 978-1558491014
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photographs, July 31, 2000

By 

"gsibbery" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families (Paperback)

This is a beautiful collection of photographs of multiracial families of every ilk and shade. Each chapter is devoted to one family and each member gets a little space to say what they feel about being in a multiracial family. As one would expect, there are virtually no negative comments about it, but all seem to have been made better, even more completer people by the experience, and above all they tend to see themselves as members of a human family as opposed to members of one "race" or ethnic background. The children seem less confused than most of the rest of us. A wonderful book. I only give it four stars because for all it's beauty, it does not get into much depth (although that is inevitable in any photo essay). Still, a heartwarming collection of photographs and shared experiences.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Resource About Multiracial/Multicultural Families, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families (Paperback)

This is a great book to learn more about Multiracial/Multicultural families. The photos are beautiful and the text is clear and easy to understand (especially for children). A great way to learn and to teach others about the experiences of these very special families.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Positive View of Diversity in the Family, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families (Paperback)

I found the book to be full of what I was seeking--the experiences of other families who chose to love outside the race barrier. I enjoyed seeing the black and white photos of happy and well adjusted children and parents. It was good to find many definitions of family--single parents, gay parents, and separated parents. "His, mine and ours" families, and families who made a choice to adopt as a way to share love and bring the races together. This book offers hope for humankind, that we will get past the race issue. It offered me hope personally, that if I marry outside my race, my children will have every chance that single-race children have, and maybe some that they DON'T have. However, the book does not gloss over the effects of racism on mixed children. It brings to the surface issues I may not have considered on my own. I learned a lot from these people's experiences. I'm sharing it with all my mixed-marriage friends, and I think you will too!