Interrogating the ‘White-Leaning’ Thesis of White–Asian Multiracials

Kelly H. Chong and Miri Song
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Kelly H. Chong: Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
Miri Song: School of Social Policy, Sociology & Social Research, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 8NH, UK

Social Sciences, 2022, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: The study of multiracial people in the United States has typically focused on the experiences of Black–White racially-mixed individuals. In this article, we review and analyze the theoretical and evidence base for the White-leaning characterization of Asian–White multiracials. Historically, Asian Americans have been positioned as a “racial middle” group in relation to White and Black Americans. In line with this perceived racial position, Asian–White multiracials have been generally characterized as being more White than Black–White multiracials, as well as “leaning White” in terms of self-identification. While there is growing recognition of the variability of experiences among Black–White multiracials, the depiction of Asian multiracials as White-leaning—though based on limited empirical evidence—continues to be prominent, revealing the tendency to view Asian–White individuals through a “White racial frame.” The racial identifications and experiences of Asian–White multiracials are far more complex than such a view suggests. We argue for the need to advance studies on Asian mixed-race people to accurately capture their racial positioning within a system of White supremacy, including the diversity of their identifications, political views, and racialized experiences.

Keywords: mixed-race studies; Asian mixed-race studies; race/ethnicity; anti-Asian racism; multiracial experiences; assimilation; identity; White supremacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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