Mixed Race Identities

In recent years, Britain has witnessed a significant growth in the 'mixed race' population. However, we still know remarkably little about this diverse population. How do young mixed race people think about and experience their multiracial status? What kinds of ethnic options do mixed race people possess, and how may these options vary across different types of 'mixes'? How important are their ethnic and racial identities, in relation to other bases of identification and belonging? This book investigates the ethnic and racial options exercised by young mixed race people in higher education in Britain, and it is the first to explore the identifications and experiences of various types of mixed race individuals. It reveals the diverse ways in which these young people identify and experience their mixed status, the complex and contingent nature of such identities, and the rise of other identity strands, such as religion, which are now challenging race and ethnicity as a dominant identity.

Peter J Aspinall is Emeritus Reader at the University of Kent, UK. He has over 60 academic papers published on race and ethnicity. He was ONS National Convenor for the ethnicity question in the ONS 2001 Census Development Programme.


Miri Song is Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, UK. She is the author of Choosing Ethnic Identity and Helping Out: Children's Labor in Ethnic Businesses, as well as several co-edited volumes concerning 'mixed race' people and their experiences.