Research continues to uncover early childhood as a crucial time when we set the stage for who we will become. In the last decade, we have also seen a sudden massive shift in America's racial makeup with the majority of the current under-5 age population being children of color. Asian and multiracial are the fastest growing self-identified groups in the United States. More than 2 million people indicated being mixed race Asian on the 2010 Census. Yet, young multiracial Asian children are vastly underrepresented in the literature on racial identity. Why? And what are these children learning about themselves in an era that tries to be ahistorical, believes the race problem has been "solved," and that mixed race people are proof of it? This book is drawn from extensive research and interviews with sixty-eight parents of multiracial children. It is the first to examine the complex task of supporting our youngest around being "two or more races" and Asian while living amongst "post-racial" ideologies.

About the Author

Sharon H Chang worked with young children and families for over a decade as a teacher, administrator, advocate and parent educator. She is currently a writer, scholar and activist who focuses on racism, social justice and the Asian American diaspora with a feminist lens. Her pieces have appeared in BuzzFeed, ThinkProgress, Hyphen Magazine ParentMap Magazine, The Seattle Globalist, AAPI Voices and International Examiner. She also serves as a consultant for Families of Color Seattle and is on the planning committee for the Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference.

Reviews

"In one of the best field interview studies of multiracial issues yet to be done, Sharon Chang has captured well for all readers, whether social science experts or not, the gritty realities of being mixed-race in this country."- Joe R. Feagin, Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M University, USA

"If we are to capture the imagination and membership of our community's next generational cohort, we must become fluent in nascent conversations on multiracial identity...'Raising Mixed Race' is undoubtedly set to become the benchmark tome on this subject..."- Ryan Kenji Kuramitsu, Pacific Citizen

"A must read for parents, teachers, students, and researchers of mixed race early childhood development, 'Raising Mixed Race' fills a critical void in literature on parenting and identity formation for multiracial Asian American children."- Laura Kina, Professor of Art, Media, & Design, DePaul University

"As a historian of racial mixing, I found the quality of Sharon H. Chang's research enviable. Most importantly, as a parent of a mixed, Asian child, I felt relief that such an empowering guidebook had arrived."- Greg Carter, Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"The book is groundbreaking. I can't say enough good things about it...even if you don't have a mixed race kid yourself - we all have associations with mixed children in our lives in many different ways...We all have a responsibility to read this book."- Minelle Mahtani, Professor of Human Geography & Journalism, University of Toronto-Scarborough

"Raising Mixed Race is the book you'll probably wish your parents had read... I hope that as many parents of racialized mixed-race children read this book as possible, so that future generations don't have to wish their parents had."- Rema Tavares, www.mixedincanada.com

"Raising Mixed Race is a fundamental book for all multiracial families who seek to understand the unique perspectives and experiences their children have or will face." - Maria Adcock, Bicultural Mama

"Though this book has a focus on multiracial Asian children, it is not just a book for parents of multiracial Asian children. It is a book for all children of color... [It] is for anyone who comes in contact with children in any way. This means if you are a teacher/educator, a child care worker, do research with children or on race and intersectionality...This book is for everyone." - Chandra Crudup, Mixed Roots Stories

"Raising Mixed Race is in many ways empowering: the new vocabulary in the book has helped me talk about thoughts and feelings I didn't have the words for. I hope this discussion moves to mainstream arenas like talk shows and checkstand magazines..."- Hugo Wong, Ricepaper: The magazine of Asian literary arts

Book Information
ISBN 9781138999466
Author Sharon Chang
Format Paperback
Page Count 248
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 366g