Multiracial Discrimination Assignment

Multiracial Discrimination

Multiracial individuals encounter different forms of discrimination when interacting with white supremacist groups. Social workers need to understand the impacts of people’s perceptions and unjust treatment of multicultural groups on the persons of multiple backgrounds. They must be aware of potential prejudices that exist in societies, the experiences of multiracial persons, and types of racism and biases that they face in the world. Discrimination leads to the isolation and exclusion of people of multiracial backgrounds, while biracial or multiracial distinctions create negative feelings and enable social workers to counsel their clients.

Description of the Impact of Discrimination on Multiracial People

Many forms of biases have impacts on multiracial individuals. The first effect of discrimination on multiracial individuals is that it causes social isolation. People of multiethnic backgrounds are more vulnerable to the experience of rejection or discrimination from relatives and other members of society, making both majority and minority groups to see them as outsiders (Newcomb, 2017). This situation is more likely to create a feeling of social segregation among interracial children, youths, and adults, prompting them to question their racial categories. When they are separated from others, they are forced to identify themselves despite the lack of options to choose their racial identities. Therefore, favoritism separates persons of multiple races from their families and communities, making them to feel offended, and struggle to cope with self-identity problems.

Additionally, discrimination harms the mental wellbeing of multiracial children and adults. When communities and families mistreat a person because of his or her interracial backgrounds, he or she finds racial questioning as distressing, irritating, and offensive. For example, when people ask multiracial individuals about their ethnic status, they may experience stress (Newcomb, 2017), which can adversely affect their health. In addition, stigmatizing such individuals causes them to develop negative emotions and thinking about others and feel dehumanized. Despite facing these issues, they lack adequate opportunities to seek counseling or interventions for their mental health conditions (Adams et al., 2018). Therefore, unfairly treatment increases the risk of developing stress-related and other psychological disorders in multiracial groups and prevents them from accessing social work services.

Description of the Impact of Biracial/Multiracial or Multiethnic Distinction on Our Society

Biracial, Multiracial, and Multiethnic distinctions cause interracial children and youths to feel rejected and undermined in their societies. People use phenotypes to categorize and distinguish Blacks and Whites (Williams, 2009) and they can, therefore, use humiliating words to disregard and disrespect biracial and multiracial individuals. They may question their group membership or challenge them to provide justifications for their identity choices (Newcomb, 2017). Such situations create negative perceptions and thoughts, making them to feel socially excluded and rejected by the general public. Multicultural persons are thus socially disadvantaged and ashamed of their multiracial status when it is not their fault.

The association between the social work context and multiracial and multiethnic distinctions is that these differences may increase the number of multiracial clients and help interracial people to differentiate themselves from individuals, who do not have the ability to identify them and improve their self-esteem. Counseling professionals encounter persons of different racial and ethnic backgrounds when handling social issues. They are more sensitive to cultural differences and endeavor to use their skills and knowledge to overcome social injustices (National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 2007). As a consequence, they are committed to using multiracial competencies and capabilities to address problems that the clients of mixed races face by helping them understand the implications of their identities and enhance their self-identity. In addition, the practice can be more effective if social workers of color interact with them because they would find ways to bring positive social change and act as their role models. Also, since segregation increases the risks of developing stress-related problems (Newcomb, 2017), the population of distressed multiracial Americans is more likely to rise than that of their monoracial counterparts. Therefore, counselors need multicultural awareness and experiences to deal with these concerns when engaging with different communities.

Conclusion

Multiracial people experience many challenges when interacting with their families, communities, and minority and dominant groups. Discrimination contributes to isolation, causes identity issues, and undermines the wellbeing of interracial individuals. Multiethnic distinctions impact societies by influencing them to reject and humiliate the persons of mixed races and challenge their identities. Social workers use these foundations to encourage multicultural clients and make their self-regard better. To foster social change and ensure population health promotion, counseling professionals need to understand the relevant issues of working in multiracial contexts, including community experiences and cultural issues.

References

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castaneda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zuniga, X. (Eds.). (2018). Readings for diversity and social justice (4th Ed.). New York, NY: Routledge Press.

National Association of Social Workers (2007). Institutional racism and the social work profession: A call to action. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=SWK1aR53FAk%3d&portalid=0

Newcomb, A. S. (2017). The impact of racial miscategorization and racial ambiguity on multiracial identity and well-being: A qualitative study. Dissertations (2009 - ). 737. Retrieved from http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/737

Williams, R. F. (2009). Black–White biracial students in American schools: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 776-804. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.944.4831&rep=rep1&type=pdf