In “Mestizo Identity,” Linda Alcoff discussed mixed-raced people in the United States.
She uses the term Mestizo, who are people of different racial groups. What I understood from the reading was that she thinks that mixed- raced people may be rejected by the dominant race as impure and are seen as inferior, but are also rejected by the oppressed group because of their privileges to the dominant race.Alcoff mentioned that acceptance into a community is tied to your racial identification and there are benefits and opportunities according to your racial identity affecting your social status. Being in between the two forces the person to have to pick one or the other, which she mentions it creates alienation because they may feel like they have no historical identity. They should be recognized for their mixed-raced so they can feel like they belong somewhere. They should not have to give up one of their identity components.
She also mentioned how in the United States the alternative to racial purity is assimilation, but that tends to be restricted to whites. She thinks that there should be a development of a positive reconstruction of mixed-race identity.I agree with Alcoff on how mixed-raced people should not have to leave out a part of identity just to be able to fit in with another group. It should not be seen as shameful and they should not be alienated for their race.
How or what should mixed- raced people do to not be seen as a lack of identity?
