Multiracial Adults’ Experiences with Racial Microaggressions

Objective: The multiracial population was measured at nine (9) million Americans in 2010 and 33.8 million in 2020, the largest reported increase of any racial group in the U.S between those census periods. Despite multiracial Americans’ exponential growth rate, their unique experiences with racial discrimination are significantly understudied. This study aims to identify how racial discrimination impacts multiracial young adults in the U.S. Method: A phenomenological inquiry was performed using semi-structured, in-person, individual interviews (n=30) and a focus group (n=4) in three geographical regions of the U.S. Results: Findings suggest that multiracial young adults are impacted by unique forms of racial microaggressions, including: microassaults (i.e dehumanization), microinsults (i.e. stereotyping of racial identities), and microinvalidations (i.e. racial identity assignment, denial of racial identities, and isolation/exclusion from racial groups). Conclusions: Our findings contribute to the literature by identifying modern-day racial microaggression experiences among a diverse sample of multiracial adults. In order to inform policy, clinical practice, social work education, we encourage further research on the psychological impacts of racial discrimination among this widely diverse and quickly developing population.