The practical problem of how to utilize multiple race data in quantitative higher education research collides with neo-conservative and liberal assumptions that a perceived growth in a post-civil rights multiracial population suggests racism no longer exists, and with concerns that multiracial data will undermine civil rights progress. Given that…

This research investigates the relationship between biracial college students and race-oriented student services (e.g., Office of Black Student Services). These services are organized around conventional understandings of race that assume there are five, discrete racial categories, namely, Black/African American, Latino/a, White, Asian American,…

Although recent research on multiraciality exposes mixed race experiences in the post-Civil Rights era, higher education scholarship still seems to lack a framework that connects two racial systems of oppression that inform and reinforce each other: traditional racisms targeting monoracially-constructed groups, and monoracism targeting…

In this article, we operationalize identification of mixed racial and ethnic ancestry among adolescents as a latent variable to (a) account for measurement uncertainty, and (b) compare alternative wording formats for racial and ethnic self-categorization in surveys. Two latent variable models were fit to multiple mixed-ancestry indicator data from…

Capturing the conditions of children of color living in single-parent families has become more complex due to the growing presence of interracial households. This analysis assesses the size and poverty status of single-female headed families housing multiracial children. Using data from the 2000 Census, we find that 9 percent of female-headed…

This paper reviews the new directions in institutional research on undergraduate racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity at the University of California, Berkeley. The use of SERU/UCUES and other web-based census surveys has made possible more detailed and extensive analysis of student diversity. Included is research on an expanded number of…

Race-based policies and programs for higher education were mainly based on the needs and interests of monoracial students. Until recently, federal policies as well as campus practices have reflected this mind-set. This article provides an overview of U.S. national policy regarding racial data collection and reporting, including implications for…

Federal standards established in 1997 allow respondents to select multiple-race categories. These new standards changed the single-race subgroup definitions that the government has required since 1977. Meta-analysis, research on long-term assessment trends, and other research involving historical comparisons must account for the definitional…

This paper explores the concept of the categorisation of social groups by looking at the issue of ascribed categories of identity for children and young people of mixed parentage. Our exploration of the knowledge-base in this area reveals that children and young people have clearly expressed views about their racial identity and that these views…

Reviews the racial classifications used by the U.S. Census and explores the arguments for adding a "multiracial" category to Census data. It may be logical to question the need for any race and ethnicity criteria in the Census, but as long as racism exists, it is necessary to acknowledge it. (SLD)

The racial categorization of children has become increasingly important as a measure to ascertain diverse needs among students as well as the appropriate manner by which teachers and other school personnel might respond to such needs through increased awareness and understanding. Multiracial children, the offspring of multiple racial unions, have…