Biracial Americans
For the first time there was an attempt to identify multiracial
individuals. In the 2000 census, 6.8 million or 2.4% of the population
reported having a multiracial background. Of this number, 93% reported
being biracial. The term biracial has been referred to individuals who
have parents or grandparents of two different races.
Each biracial American student has a unique situation that requires some special considerations. Biracial students cannot immerse themselves fully into one of their cultures without denying other aspects of the other culture. Some of the difficulties that Biracial American students encounter include feeling marginal in two cultures and lowered self-esteem. They may also feel burdened from racial identity development or acceptance by students of other races. Research has shown that Biracial students have been found to display a high incidence of both behavioral and academic problems in the educational setting.
Each biracial American student has a unique situation that requires some special considerations. Biracial students cannot immerse themselves fully into one of their cultures without denying other aspects of the other culture. Some of the difficulties that Biracial American students encounter include feeling marginal in two cultures and lowered self-esteem. They may also feel burdened from racial identity development or acceptance by students of other races. Research has shown that Biracial students have been found to display a high incidence of both behavioral and academic problems in the educational setting.
