The authors present research findings based on clinical case studies of biracial/bicultural adolescents. In presenting these findings, the authors have four goals: (1) to identify the major conflicts experienced by biracial and bicultural adolescents in mastering developmental tasks; (2) to delineate clinical and sociocultural issues in the assessment of these youth and their families; (3) to propose strategies of intervention for these youth; and (4) to suggest implications for clinical training and practice.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BensonS. (1981). Ambiguous ethnicity.London: Cambridge University Press.
2.
ChangT. S. (1974). The self-concept of children of ethnically different marriages. California Journal of Educational Research, 25, 245–253.
3.
ChestangL. W. (1984). Racial and personal identity in the black experience. In WhiteB. (Ed.), Color in a white society.Silver Spring, MD: National Association of Social Workers.
4.
Children of interracial families. (1984). Bulletin/Interracial Books for Children, 15(6), 1.
5.
Coleman Children and Youth Services. (1983). Window on the future: Executive summary.San Francisco: Author.
6.
CollinsG. (1984, March 20). Children of interracial marriage. New York Times, p. 17.
7.
de AndaD.Bicultural socialization: Factors affecting the minority experience. Social Work, 29, 101–107.
8.
de SnyderN. S.LopezC. M., & PadillaA. M. (1982). Ethnic identity and cultural awareness among the offspring of Mexican interethnic marriages. Journal of Early Adolescence, 2, 277–282.
9.
DragastinS. E., & ElderG. H. (Eds.). (1975). Adolescence in the life cycle.Washington, DC: Hemisphere.
10.
DuffyL. K. (1978). The interracial individual: Self-concept, parental interaction, and ethnic identity. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Hawaii.
11.
EriksonE. H. (1959). Identity and the life cycle. Psychological Issues. Mon. No. 1. New York: International Universities Press.
12.
EriksonE. H. (1963). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). New York: W. W. Norton.
13.
EriksonE. H. (1968). Identity, youth, and crisis.New York: W. W. Norton.
14.
FaulknerJ., & KichG. K. (1983). Assessment and engagement stages in therapy with the interracial family. Family Therapy Collections, 6, 78–90.
15.
GibbsJ. T. (1985). Treatment relationships with black clients: Interpersonal vs. instrumental strategies. In GermainC. (Ed.), Advances in clinical social word practice.Silver Spring, MD: National Association of Social Workers.
16.
GibbsJ. T. (1987). Identity and marginality: Issues in the treatment of bi-racial adolescents. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 265–278.
17.
GibbsJ. T., & HuangL. N. (1989). Children of color: Psychological interventions with minority youth.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
18.
GlickC. E. (1970). Interracial marriage and admixture in Hawaii. Social Biology, 17, 278–291.
GunthorpeW. W. (1978). Skin color recognition, preference and identification in interracial children: A comparative study. Dissertation Abstracts International, 38(10-B), 3468.
21.
HarrisL. H. (1981). Goal attainment scaling in the treatment of adolescents. Social Work in Education, 4, 7–18.
22.
HenriquesF. (1974). Children of conflict: A study of interracial sex and marriage.New York: Dutton.
23.
JacobsJ. H. (1978). Black/white interracial families: Marital process and identity development in young children. Dissertation Abstracts International, 38(10-B), 5028.
24.
JenkinsA. (1982). The psychology of the Afro-American.New York: Pergamon Press.
25.
JohnsonR. C., & NagoshiC. T. (1986). The adjustment of offspring within group and interracial/intercultural marriages: A comparison of personality factor scores. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 279–284.
26.
KitanoH. L., & YoungW. T. (1982). Chinese interracial marriage. Marriage and Family Review, 5, 75–89.
27.
LadnerJ. A. (1977). Mixed families.New York: Anchor Press.
28.
LoganS. L. (1981). Race, identity and black children: A developmental perspective. Social Casework, 62, 4–19.
29.
LoganS. L.FreemanE. M., & McRoyR. G. (1987). Racial identity problems of bi-racial clients: Implications for social work practice. Journal of Intergroup Relations, 15, 11–24.
30.
McRoyR. G., & FreemanE. M. (1986). Racial identity issues among mixed-race children. Social Work in Education, 8, 164–174.
31.
McRoyR. G.ZurcherL. A.LauderdaleM. L., & AndersonR. E. (1984). The identity of transracial adoptees. Social Casework, 65, 34–39.
32.
MurguiaE. (1982). Chicano intermarriage: A theoretical and empirical study.San Antonio, TX: Trinity University Press.
33.
OfferD. (1969). The psychological world of the teenager.New York: Basic Books.
34.
PayneR. B. (1977). Racial attitude formation in children of mixed black and white heritage: Skin color and racial identity. Dissertation Abstracts International, 38(6-B), 2876.
35.
PiskacekV., & GolubM. A. (1973). Children of interracial marriage. In StuartI. R., & AbtL. E. (Eds.), Interracial marriage: Expectations and reality.New York: Grossman.
36.
PoussaintA. (1984). Study of interracial children presents positive picture. Bulletin/Interracial Books for Children, 15, 9–10.
37.
SebringD. L. (1985). Considerations in counseling interracial children. Journal of Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance, 13, 3–9.
38.
SilvermanA. R., & FeigelmanW. (1981). The adjustment of black children adopted by white families. Social Casework, 62, 529–536.
39.
SimonR. J., & AltsteinH. (1977). Transracial adoption.New York: John Wiley.
40.
TaylorR. L. (1976). Psychosocial development among black children and youth: A reconsideration. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 46, 4–19.
41.
TeicherJ. D. (1968). Some observations on identity problems in children of Negro–white marriages. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 146, 249–256.
42.
TsengW. S.McDermottJ. F., & MaretskiT. W. (Eds.). (1977). Adjustment in interracial marriage.Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii. U.S.
43.
Census Bureau. (1990). Statistical abstract of the United States: 1990 (110th ed.).Washington, DC: Author.
44.
WashingtonJ. R. (1970). Marriage in black and white.Boston: Beacon Press.
