Part IV, Beyond Black and White, Chapter 9, Identity Development in Multiracial Families Summary and Analysis

Chapter 9 turns to matters of biracial development, which raises many questions. The construction of personal identity is much harder and there is no agreed model of analysis or development of such cases. Typically with White-Black mixing the "one-drop" rule is critical. Anyone with a bit of Black heritage is Black. This rule has a complex legacy that results from a desire for White purity. It is hard, however, to imagine a better model. Physical appearance, for one, won't help. Black-White biracial children have a harder time gaining acceptance in White communities.

Tatum thinks it important to clear away one misconception up-front, however. This is the idea that biracial children suffer in a particular way during childhood. This is often...