“What color is it going to be?” A six-year-old girl asks me as she stares at my visibly pregnant stomach. I realize that the photograph of my husband displayed on my desk has triggered her curiosity as to what the baby will look like when its born.

“That’s a good question,” I respond, somewhat caught off-guard by this young girl’s forwardness regarding the little life growing inside me.

“I don’t know…” I finally continue. “She could have blond hair and green eyes with skin color like her daddy’s and yours, or she could have brown hair and brown eyes with skin color like mine. Or maybe she will look a little like me and a little like her daddy.”

I wondered if I had satisfied her curiosity with my response. I had decided against attempting the mini-lecture, “skin color doesn’t matter -- it’s what is on the inside that counts”, because while I do firmly subscribe to this philosophy, I knew grown adults that struggled with this concept. But I didn’t want to dismiss her question either. It was an honest inquiry that reminded me of the reality that people are constantly trying to make sense of what they see, especially young children. I began to think about the questions my daughter might have regarding her own racial identity, and while I could control the information I provided her, what would happen once she entered the classroom?

Racial Classification and U.S. Schools

It has been imbedded within the psyche of individuals to racially classify or categorize other people on the basis of their physical appearance. This act of social classification may be instinctual, however the presence of an individual that does not quite fit the appearance of one distinct racial group can cause confusion within the classification schemas for various people and institutions. But what happens when institutions promote this confusion regarding race?

My racial identity became an issue when my mother was filling out the applications for the two high schools I was applying to for my secondary education. One was a liberal arts college prep school, and the other was a magnet school that drew students interested in studying music. When it came to the question on race, my mother asked the admissions counselors at both schools which racial box she should check since truthfully, I was both Black and White.

The prep school needed more Black students so she was advised to check the “Black” box, while the magnet school needed more White students, so she was advised to check the “White” box on my application. Both admissions counselors further advised my mother that if she wanted to strengthen my chances for admission into the schools, she should check the recommended box. She proceeded to take their advice and I later received acceptance letters from both schools…

According to a recent report published by the National Center for Education Statistics, close to 75% of all public schools reported that they use only the five standard categories (with no option to check more than one category) to classify the race and ethnicity of their students. At the same time, approximately 40% of all public schools reported that there are students in their schools for whom the five standard categories are not “accurately descriptive”.

Census 2000: Race and Ethnicity in Educational Institutions

For many biracial children, their first introduction into the denial of their multiracial heritage often occurs before they enter the classroom. On school enrollment forms, the parents of an interracial child are forced to choose the racial identity that would best describe their child’s racial heritage. It is, and has been a steadfast way for schools to “assimilate” interracial children into an existence where their true ethnic identities must be compromised.

Census 2000 was the first nationwide implementation of the latest changes to the federal standards for collecting racial data. Our educational system is one of the largest institutions that will be affected by these new adjustments for racial data collection enforced by the Office of Management and Budget. For the first time in this country, the U.S. government has not only decided to acknowledge this diverse population, it is forcing all federal agencies and organizational units responsible for collecting and reporting racial data to do the same.

According to the Provisional Guidance on the Implementation of the 1997 Standards for Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity issued by OMB this last December, "Standards require that at a minimum the total number of persons identifying with more than one race be reported". By the 2004/2005 school year, the Department of Education is required to readjust its policies for collecting racial data to meet this standard.

So what does this mean? Within the next three and a half years, all public schools will be required to collect racial data that has allowed students to identify with more than one race if so desired on their school enrollment forms. At first glance, this new policy may seem to affect only a small percentage of multiracial families desiring a more complete assertion of their racial background. However, beneath the surface, this ability to collect a more accurate count of multiracial students can greatly influence the ways in which teachers and administrators prepare their curriculum for their student population.

U.S. Education: Everyone Counts?

In an ideal society, the racial make-up of a school shouldn’t determine the extent of multicultural curriculum used to educate its youth. Students should be exposed to a wide range of topics addressing the ethnic and cultural diversity of this country, regardless of the racial population within a school.

When I think about the little girl trying to gain a picture of what my unborn child may look like, I am reminded that while children of mixed racial descent may have questions concerning their racial identity, other children may have similar questions when confronted by an individual of a different racial background. Will our schools be equipped to address the questions regarding race and ethnicity arising from our increasingly diverse student population? And if not, we must ask ourselves what can we do to increase their preparedness.

Time will certainly provide more concrete answers regarding the enforcement of a stronger multicultural education for our young students. But we must never lose sight that it is also up to us to campaign for a more culturally informed future generation.

Also by Kimberly A. Cooper:

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