Premium
‘Mixed race’, ‘mixed origins’ or what? Generic terminology for the multiple racial/ethnic group population
Author(s) -
Aspinall Peter J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
anthropology today
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 1467-8322
pISSN - 0268-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8322.2009.00653.x
Subject(s) - mixed race , race (biology) , terminology , ethnic group , population , dominance (genetics) , term (time) , sociology , genealogy , demography , gender studies , history , anthropology , linguistics , biology , philosophy , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , gene
A broad range of terms have been proposed and debated for the ‘mixed race’ population. Dissatisfaction with ‘mixed race’, the term most widely used but contested on the grounds that it references the now discredited concept of ‘race’, has led to the search for an alternative. In 1994 the Royal Anthropological Institute advocated ‘mixed origins’; despite subsequent further efforts, this alternative has gained little momentum. ‘Mixed race’ now competes with terms such as ‘mixed heritage’, ‘dual heritage’, and ‘mixed parentage’ amongst data users. However, research indicates that the term of choice of most respondents in general population and student samples of this population group is ‘mixed race’, other terms ‐ including ‘mixed origins’ ‐ attracting little support. Given its dominance, it is premature to argue that the term ‘mixed race’ should be replaced by candidates that are not self‐descriptors.