Effects Of Interracial Marriages On Children example essay topic

676 words
Effect of Interracial relationships and the child Interracial marriages can include the union between Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, Whites, and any other groups. However, when people talk about race relations, the focus is on Blacks and Whites. No matter what type of ethnic groups are involved in these type of relationships, one important result of these marriages are children. After doing some research and looking over some materials, I now have a strong understanding of the issues surrounding children of interracial marriages, and the problems parents encounter with their mixed race children. Children from interracial marriages are no longer denied the same benefits and privileges as the children prior to Loving. Celebrities like Tiger Woods may have changed society's views on interracial children, but are there more serious effects on these children than what is shown by Tiger Woods?

More than 1.5 million children lived with biracial parents in 1990. Many books have been out about the effects of interracial marriages on children. One of the biggest problems facing interracial children is an identity crisis. However, Tiger Woods and other famous children of interracial marriages have helped to set the way for interracial children and eased some tensions they may have been facing. But children need to know who exactly who they are and how special they are because of that. Parents say that it is essential that a child have a positive idea of identity for the child's success in growing up in a world that we live in today.

Children of multiracial backgrounds have to deal with racism in a different way. Many people with racist views have troubles with interracial children because they are neither one race or another, so they cannot group these children into one group. Because of the fact that these children are different, they may experience more racism because they are even more of a special case in the racist's mind than just an African American person would be. I read online that the biggest problem facing biracial children is an identity crisis. The sense of being separated from both parents. The way a child identifies his / herself depends on how the parents identify the child.

To resolve the identity crisis, the parents have to discuss openly how they will raise their children. Identity is a lifelong process no matter what race you are in. The parents must provide secure role models with which the child can identify him / herself. I came upon with basically three stages when a biracial child's identity can be negatively effected.

The first point in this time line is when one parent tells the child he / she is White and the other parent tells the child he / she is Black. The second problem of identity arises between the child's choice of identification whether it is Black or White and the negative parental feedback from a choice. The last point of negative effect put upon on a biracial child's identity is when the child and the parent agree regarding the child's identity, but society does not agree with them. Because society can have a great effect on a child growing up in this world. I really think that a child growing up in this day in age will be basically be confused with who he or she really is. Especially being in family that one of their parents is Black and the other is White.

The rate of interracial marriages has increased heavily in the past years. The only way to me parents can help to at least understand who they are is to allow them to be who they want to be cause no matter the outcome, no matter if that child is Black or White in the parents eyes, they will be loved like any other child no matter their skin color or who or what group they classify them in.