Bowels

Bowels, D. D. (1993). Bi-racial identity: Children born to African-American and white couples. Clinical Social Work Journal, 21, 417-428.

This article uses the experiences of various biracial clients and the negative impact that feeling forced to choose one racial identity over the other has caused them. The article pushes for a new way of conceptualizing racial identity for biracial individuals. The current system, which tends to force biracial persons to negate part of themselves results in feelings of guilt and shame for many. Shame comes from viewing one of the individuals racial heritages as inferior and guilt occurs when one acts contradictorily to their beliefs and values. Many biracial individuals feel that to establish a healthy sense of self-identity it is important for them to identify fully with both of their racial heritages. In order to do this more easily they are calling for a new ethnic category—a separate bi-racial category, where society does not force them to chose one of their races over the other. "The resulting confusion and identity crisis this (choosing one race over the other) poses for bi-racial children can no longer be put on hold. This issue of bi-racial identity must be revisited and re-examined" (p.427).