Racism is a prominent issue in modern society; many countries treat minorities differently than they would the majority race. In the United States, many minorities were considered subhuman until recently. An example is the legalization of interracial marriage in 1967. Laws that allowed for non-white people to be treated in a different manner let racist mindsets flourish. Due to the recent understanding that every race must be treated equally, there are still many issues that need to be fixed in modern society. This problem is recognizable to many. One group, however, is highly ignored in the psychological field, and therefore continue to experience racism at a rate that affects them greatly. Citizens of a mixed-race in the United States are highly susceptible to repeated microaggressions, as well as judgement from any racial group – including the ones they are a part of (Sundstrom 287). Countries such as the United States are built on a monoracial structure. These structures allow for racial groups to remain divided, and continue to enforce mindsets that each race must look or behave in a certain manner (Xu 650). Legal documents for citizens may ask for the race of an individual. If a multiracial option is not given, then those who are not monoracial are forced to decide which race they fit best. Situations like these provide an influx of identity issues that form into mental health problems, and can begin at a young age for this group. Thus, it should be known that multiracial citizens face problems that greatly affect them throughout their lives. With this group being the fastest-growing in the US, society must make changes to understand and provide better treatment of these citizens.

One prime example of these citizens being failed is the study of children of a mixed descent. With pressure to adhere to a certain race’s expectations, these young children are forced to choose between races they should identify as, despite being multiracial (McVeigh 2014). These children develop mental health problems that cannot be regularly treated due to the lack of knowledge and understanding for these situations. As stated earlier, this group is the fastest-growing in the US, and therefore treatments must be developed to properly help children in need. One of the more prominent issues among multiracial children is the lack of representation they receive in school. Many holidays and events for minority students are appearing in schools’ curriculums to allow these children experience their cultures, as well as celebrate their lineage. However, there are no historical events or holidays that center around someone who is mixed-race, and therefore these kids end up lacking a figure to look up to. Thus, some issues that come up with their identity is the lack of appreciation for their ethnic backgrounds (Wardle 13). Without the proper celebration and appreciation of figures who are like them, these children end up lacking in self-confidence and begin to believe people like themselves cannot become successful. Xu’s research can understand this societal system; societies like the United States have built their country on splitting up racial groups, and therefore focus on individual groups when it comes to understanding how they must be treated or celebrated. Therefore, multiracial children do not have a proper place in a structured society like so, and begin to suffer the consequences that will impact them for much of their lives.

In Being and Being Mixed Race, by Sundstrom, he states “People are expected to be only one of these categories. Those who do not fit into this nation's racial typology are social anomalies, and are unwelcome reminders to society that race is fluid and that taboos against miscegenation have been transgressed.” From the previous statement, the realization of being different from the norm is easily learned at a young age. “Multiracial and multiethnic students are placed in a no-man’s land regarding ethnic and racial self-esteem at school. Although many school books and classes include contributions by all the diverse groups of people that make up the rich history of this nation, there is no evidence of the existence and contributions of people of mixed racial and ethnic heritage.” (Wardle 12). Due to the way the US has formed, and how quickly diversity expands, multiracial citizens are growing up in a society that has not yet taken action to give them the attention and treatment needed.

Sundstrom brings up a point in how rejecting part of one’s background is to take part in racism. By the ability to pick and choose which identity one wants to use, they are admitting that being mixed-race is inherently wrong, and that one part of their lineage is better than any others. Sundstrom also has discussed how multiracial citizens can be rejected by any group they are descended from. If someone is half-white and half-black, both groups can judge this person due to their behavior, that can be considered incorrect, and how they do not fit in with the social norm depicted of their group. A well-known example of this is stated by Durrow; when Barack Obama began running for president, he stated that he was mixed-race. This began to give people a figure to look up to, but not too long after becoming the president, he was known as “America’s First Black President” and was known to check himself off as black in the Census. This rejection of his lineage showcases how much society forces a different standard, and many citizens were stripped of a figure. This enforces the idea that successful people are monoracial, or can only identify with one race in particular. In an article written by Diana Sanchez, she discusses how forced-choice dilemmas are linked to depressive symptoms in multiracial people. She quotes, “Forced-choice dilemmas refer to situations in which multiracial people are asked or pressured to choose between their multiple racial identities, rather than being allowed to identify with their multiple racial identities”. She explains that it is known to researchers that multiracial citizens face a unique set of problems, due to being in multiple racial groups. 

Since society is built on its citizens being monoracial, it struggles with helping those who do not fit in. The United States in particular enforces a single race, a single identity, and so on. When it comes to handling problems, they use tactics that have worked in the past that applied to certain racial groups. As discussed earlier, Xu’s monoracial research can clearly explain how societal structures fail multiracial citizens. Sanchez’s points out the same situation in her paper; multiracial citizens are forced to choose an identity, and may end up feeling disloyal to part of their family. This also adds to a gradual dislike of one’s self, and therefore build up to mental health problems that can include depressive symptoms and anxiety (Fisher et al. 1688). In the article written by Fisher et al., they stated, “Diversity within the school context can influence how others group multiracial students, and how they in turn decide to identify. Multiracial youth may have to negotiate social groupings thrust upon them and come to their own understanding of what group(s) they identify with.” These forced-choice dilemmas are a main part of the issue that overall affects multiracial citizens. By being failed in a monoracial society, and therefore not getting the proper representation needed, mixed-race youth begin to learn to reject part of their identity. They then learn to dislike themselves, as well as feel disloyal to part of their family. This in turn causes mental health problems. The problem is complex.

Since this is the fastest-growing ethnic group, eventually the problem will be solved and more understood with populations gradually becoming a part of this group. This growing group can also begin to eliminate racist ideas of how groups should act and look like. Once race becomes less of a social norm, many new things will be implemented and understood by society and can enforce that all citizens are one and the same. However, some can argue that without race, discrimination and prejudice will begin to be mostly ignored. Actions and events that occur due to race will become very vague in a society without race, and may not be labelled as a hate-crime. Race, for some people, also allow a way to find a group they can connect and bond with due to similar backgrounds and similar experiences growing up. When one is multiracial, their experience is unique on its own, and may begin to gradually push away groups that can benefit being together. Apologies for the short paper; I am still finding the best parts of my sources to make up the paper that does not make me repeat myself multiple times like I have already.
