Biracial identity and belonging

What are you? That's a question people of mixed race hear all the time. Today we talk with a trio of guests about their biracial identity and belonging.

Air Date: August 23, 2024 12:00 pm

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears at the Fiserv Forum during a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

What are you? That’s a question that people who are biracial get asked all the time, either directly or indirectly. Are you Black? Are you White? Are you Latino?

If you are mixed race in the U.S., you are part of the fastest growing segment of the population. The presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris, who is of Black and South Asian heritage, has put a spotlight on the issue of identity and race, just as Barack Obama did in 2008 when he ran for president.

On this week’s edition of The Connection, what do you call yourself if you are mixed race? We’ll talk about the challenges and advantages of having multiple racial identities, especially with our country’s troubled past. We are joined by three guests. Psychologist Sarah Gaither heads Duke University’s Identity and Diversity Lab. Journalists Daralyse Lyons and Malcolm Burnley are cohosts of the podcast, On Being Biracial.

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