Heidi Durrow - The Beiging of America

What people are saying about
THE BEIGING OF AMERICA

Race in America has been changing for a while now. Racism is far from goneit is no less pervasive and vicious than ever it was. But in the current generation have arisen the insistent voices of people whose ancestries and identities are more complex than we ever thought possible. They are not just black, nor just white, nor just brown or yellow or red. They frequently own two or more racial identitiesand one of those identities often is mixed. The contributors in THE BEIGING OF AMERICA tells us their stories, in their own voices. Every American should read this book and heed these voices. This is our racial future.

Paul Spickard, Professor of History, Asian American Studies, and Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara, author of Race in Mind: Critical Essays (2015)

THE BEIGING OF AMERICA points towards the next generation of first-person narratives about the mixed race experience, including those stories that go beyond the usual hand-wringing over census boxes to consider, more pressingly, the where and when of racial justice for peoples of color, mixed or not.

Michele Elam, professor, Professor at Stanford University, author of The Souls of Mixed Folk: Race, Politics, and Aesthetics in the New Millennium (2011)

THE BEIGING OF AMERICA shows the country in full color. The essays successfully crumble dichotomies and reveal the shared humanity underneath.

Shannon Luders-Manuel, writer/editor author of Being Biracial: Where Our Secret Worlds Collide: Educators Guide (2016)

THE BEIGING OF AMERICA is a wonderful addition to the canon of mixed race literature. This fine collection of personal narratives further demonstrates both the complexities of the mixed race experience and how multiplicity can be a source of pain and ridicule, as well as pride and self-acceptance. These stories remind us that the fluidity of identities and the demographic shifts that are occurring in the U.S. are not to be ignored or buried, but rather discussed openly and honestly, engaging in the uncomfortable discussions of racism, white supremacy and the power words have even in the most intimate spaces, such as family. These testimonies remind us of the importance to acknowledge and embrace our differences both within ourselves and collectively if we are to become a post-racist society. Bravo!

Rudy P. Guevarra Jr., author of Becoming Mexpino: Multiethnic Identities and Communities in San Diego (2012)

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THE BEIGING OF AMERICA, Personal Narratives About Being Mixed Race in the 21st Century, Copyright 2017. 2Leaf Press, edited by Cathy J. Schlund-Vials, Sean Frederick Forbes and Tara Betts. All rights reserved under international and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of this authors rights is appreciated. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in or introduced in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of both the copyright owner and 2LEAF PRESS, an imprint of the Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS), the publisher of this book, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles.

2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY
Series Editor: Sean Frederick Forbes

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016944187
Print Edition: ISBN-13: 978-1-940939-54-4
eBook Edition: ISBN-13: 978-1-940939-55-1

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Published in the United States of America

First Edition | First Printing

2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY

Series Editor: Sean Frederick Forbes

Cover design: Cathy J. Schlund-Vials

Cover artwork: Laura Kina
Reprinted with permission from artist. Copyright 2006 by Laura Kina. All rights reserved.
http://www.laurakina.com/

Copy edited by: Carolina Fung Feng and Gabrielle David

Book design and layout: Gabrielle David, www.gabrielledavid.net

The Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage

I have the right:

I have the right:

I have the right:

Maria P. P. Root (1994)

T HE 2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY SERIES encourages an open dialogue, one that poses questions about topics that have either been elided or not delved into as extensively in American society. Its a series about engaging in a novel conversation that re-examines diversity and identity politics in the twenty-first century. Its a series that questions and disrupts the status quo; that breaks long-held codes of silence; that poses uncomfortable questions that often dont have clear-cut answers or solutions. Its a series that explores ideas about the ways in which diversity and multiculturalism will shape ongoing conversations for future generations. Its a series that reaches readers from all walks of life and doesnt seek only to be academic in nature and theory.

The first volume in the series What Does It Mean to Be White in America?: Breaking the White Code of Silence, A Collection of Personal Narratives was published in April 2016 and co-edited by Gabrielle David and myself. This collection of eighty-two personal narratives reflects a vibrant range of stories from white Americans who speak frankly and openly about race, not only as it applies to people of color, but as it applies to themselves. In answering the question, some may offer viewpoints one may not necessarily agree with, but nevertheless, it is clear that each contributor is committed to answering it as honestly as possible. It features an introduction by racial justice educator and writer, Debby Irving, and an afterword by award-winning poet, author and scholar, Tara Betts. The purpose of