As the United States becomes more multiracial, the document discusses the changing definitions and perceptions of race over time. It notes that race is a social construct rather than biological reality. Through increased immigration, interracial marriage, and legal decisions like Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. population and acceptance of multiracial identities have grown. The document profiles many prominent multiracial Americans and predicts that multiracial individuals will likely be the majority of the U.S. population by 2050.

1. Multiracial AmericaAs our country becomes more multiracial, are we becoming more tolerant and accepting?

2. Race–noun

3. 1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.

4. 2. a population so related.

5. 3. Anthropology . a. any of the traditional divisions of humankind, the commonest being the Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negro, characterized by supposedly distinctive and universal physical characteristics: no longer in technical use.

6. b. an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, esp. formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.

7. c. a human population partially isolated reproductively from other populations, whose members share a greater degree of physical and genetic similarity with one another than with other humans.

8. 4. a group of tribes or peoples forming an ethnic stock: the Slavic race.

9. 5. any people united by common history, language, cultural traits, etcHistory American people are mostly multi-ethnic descendents of various culturally distinct immigrant nationalities.We are a country of “mutts”

10. Historyhttp://www.understandingrace.com/history/index.htmlhttp://www.understandingrace.com/lived/game/index.htmlAlthough we can celebrate the many victories that have faced our fight against discrimination, we still live in cities towns , communities and neighborhoods that are segregated by race. What is race?

11. RaceRace does not exist in nature.Race is constructed by society.Race is an indicator of differences, but there are no biological differences between us.The primary indicator of race has primarily been skin color. “Whiteness gives us status.”During the 1920’s not even the color of skin guaranteed whiteness – Japanese and Irish – “not white”.

12. Reasons for DiversityImmigration patternsInterracial marriages increasingUS military presence in AsiaMost importantly Loving vs Virginia

13. Loving vs VirginiaMildred Jeter and Richard Loving were married in the District of Columbia.They moved to Virginia and were charged for violating Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage.The judge sentenced them to one year or suspended sentence if they left the state. He said, “ Almighty God created the races, white black, yellow , malay and red and he placed them on separate continents…the fact that He separated the races means He did not intend for them to mix.”Supreme Court overturned the decision in 1967

14. Thurgood MarshallIn 1967 Thurgood Marshall was only months away from appointment to the Supreme court when he suffered an indignity which today seems outrageous. He and his wife could not live in Virginia because he was black and she was Asian.The supreme court struck down the anti-interracial laws in Virginia and 18 other states.In 1967 these laws were not leftover scraps from an extinct era. A Gallop poll done in 1965 showed that 72 percent of Southern whites and 42 percent of Northern whites wanted to ban interracial marriages.

15. Eldrick Woods and wife KultidaFast forward to more recent times and another black and Asian couple – Their son is Tiger Woods.He is black and Asian , but also Chinese, white and American Indian.Tiger has refused to be labeled and has embraced his multiracial heritage.

16. CensusThe 2000 census over 6.8 million Americans marked an identification with two or more races.The 2000 census was the first census to allow respondents to choose more than one race.

17. 2.4 percent of the United States is multiracialHawaii has the largest multiracial population. – 24.1 percent of its population.Alaska is second with 5.4 percent.The five least multiracial states are Mississippi, West Virginia, Maine, Alabama, and South Carolina. All have multiracial populations less than 1 percent

18. APOLO ANTON OHNOCaucasian AmericanJapaneseOlympic Gold medalist; Skater

19. ADRIANA LIMAFrench, Portuguese, Inidigenous Brazilian and Afro-BrazilianModel

20. FAITH EVANSMother: African-AmericanFather: Italian-AmericanRecording Artist for Bad Boy Records

21. MAGGIE Q.Mother: VietnameseFather: American of Polish, Irish, French-Canadian descentActress, Model

22. PHYLICIA RASHADActress, ModelMother: African-AmericanFather: Cherokee Indian

23. LENNY KRAVITZMother: African-American, West IndianFather: Russian-Jewish descent

24. PETE WENTZMother: Hawaiian and IndianFather: CaucasianActor, Director, Musician, lyricist.

25. PAULA ABDULMother: French-Canadian, JewishFather: Syrian, Raised in BrazilSinger, Actress, Tv show Host

26. Tiger WoodsMixed African American, Chinese, and Native American ancestry.Famous Golfer

27. “THE ROCK”Dwane JohnsonSamoan, Polynesian, African AmericanProfessional Wrestler, Actor

28. Cameron DiazMother: English, German, CherokeeFather: CubanActress

29. Alicia KeysMother: Scottish, Irish, ItallianFather: African AmericanSinger, Actress

30. Mariah CareyMother: Irish AmericanFather: Afro-Venezuelan and African AmericanSinger, Actress, Tv show Host

31. VIN DIESELFather: African AmericanMother:Itallian Producer, Writer, Actor, Director

32. Barak ObamaMother: English, German, IrishFather: AfricanPresident of United States