SDH Captioned
Grades 9 - 12, College, Adults
Directed by Brian Chinhema
Produced by Abacus Production
DVD Purchase $295, Rent $85
US Release Date: 2011
Copyright Date: 2010
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-913-5
Subjects
African-American Studies
American Studies
Anthropology
Asian Studies
Citizenship and Civics
Civil Rights
Counseling
Ethnic Studies
Genetics
History
Human Rights
Latino and Chicano Studies
Multicultural Studies
Native Americans
Political Science
Psychology
Race and Racism
Social Justice
Sociology
Awards and Festivals
Golden Ace Award, Las Vegas Film Festival
Portland International Film Festival
Eugene International Film Festival
Politics on Film Festival
Western Psychological Association Film Festival
Explores the social, political and religious impact of the multiracial movement.
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"Opens up a set of honest and timely conversations about race and mixed race in the United States...vital in my current and future course curriculum." Andrew Jolivette, Chair, American Indian Studies, San Francisco State |
Note: There are two versions of this program on the same DVD: 77-minutes and 56-minutes.
Multiracial people are the fastest growing demographic in America, yet there is no official political recognition for mixed-race people. MULTIRACIAL IDENTITY explores the social, political, and religious impact of the multiracial movement and the lived experience of being multiracial.
Different racial and cultural groups see multiracialism differently. For some Whites multiracialism represents the pollution of the White race. For some Blacks it represents an attempt to escape Blackness. And for some Asians, Latinos, and Arabs, multiracialism can be seen as ill equipped to perpetuate cultural traditions and therefore represents the dilution of the culture.
Reviews
"Multiracial Identity is a groundbreaking documentary. It is a necessary teaching tool for high school seniors and college students in ethnic and race studies. The documentary is a journey into the controversy of multiracialism in the U.S.A. It beautifully intersects history, intellectual perspectives and contemporary narratives of mixed-raced individuals, contemplating remarkable inquiries regarding the subject. Is multiracialism an emotional issue or a civil right issue? Why President Obama is known as the first Black American President and not the first racially-mixed President?"
Alicia Arrizón, Professor and Chair, Department of Women's Studies, University of California-Riverside, Author, Queering Mestizaje: Transculturation and Performance
"Multiracial Identity opens up a set of honest and timely conversations about race and mixed race in the United States. The history and contemporary experience of racially mixed people is thoroughly documented. Students, policy makers, professors and researchers will all benefit greatly from the difficult questions this film raises about the politics of racial categories and the on-going battle for Civil Rights. Multiracial Identity is ultimately about self and community representation, human rights, social justice, and respect. It will be vital in my current and future course curriculum."
Andrew Jolivette, Associate Professor and Chair of American Indian Studies, Affiliated Faculty in Educational Leadership, Race and Resistance Studies, San Francisco State University, Author, Obama and the Biracial Factor: The Battle for a New American Majority (Forthcoming, 2011)
"Multiracial Identity is a compelling and informative film that demonstrates how race has impacted the identity formations of multiracial people in the U.S., and the ways in which they also challenge, destabilize and rearticulate this social construct. The film carefully weaves together expert knowledge, personal narratives, statistics and in-depth historical context regarding issues such as race, white privilege, immigration and the role of culture in the U.S. This film will be an excellent resource for teachers, students, community activists and others interested in how complex this topic is and the honest discussions we need to have about the power and legacy of race and racism in this country and how multiracial people continue to situate themselves in this debate."
Dr. Rudy Guevarra Jr., Assistant Professor, Asian Pacific American Studies, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University
"Multiracial Identity provides a comprehensive history and exploration of concepts and issues critical to the topic and study of mixed race heritage. It provides the conceptual framework necessary for counselors and other helping professionals to understand the complexities of this identity, as well as the framework necessary for providing culturally competent counseling intervention."
Dr. Kelley Kenney, Department of Counseling and Human Services, Kutztown University, and Mr. Mark Kenney, Department of Counseling Psychology, Chestnut Hill College, Facilitators, American Counseling Association, Multiracial/Multiethnic Counseling Concerns Interest Network