Girls in Pieces: An Exploration of Ethnic Identity in Two Anglo-Latina University Students

Abstract

The multiracial population is the fastest-growing demographic in American society, increasing at three times the rate of the population as a whole. Because the majority of multiracial and multiethnic individuals are children and adolescents, the issue has important implications for the future of American schools. Using Rockquemore and Brunsma’s racial identity taxonomy, I analyzed the interview and reading group response data of two Anglo-Latina students at a large research university in the mid-Atlantic region to determine which identity options they chose and how they experienced living as multiracial individuals in the USA. Emergent themes included the students’ identification with the fictional protagonist of Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, being assigned a racial identity by others that did not match their self-determined identity, a sense of loss, and the experience of racial discrimination.