Standing on both feet: History and the construction of identity for older mixed-race American

People of mixed heritage promise to be a significant percentage of the U.S. population in the 21st century. However, as a group, they have not been well studied. Previous research has tended to focus on identity in children, adolescents and young adults. This dissertation is based on a study of a sector of the mixed race population that has been less visible; those who were middle aged and elderly at the time the research was done in the late 1990's. The primary method of data collection was through focused life histories of 20 people of mixed race whose ages ranged from 45 to 94. The participants were either of African American/White or Asian American/White background.;The study examines factors influencing identity and identification, and how the meaning of being of mixed race is influenced by aging, different historical circumstances, and the race of the non-white parent. A synthesis of elements of racial formation, cultural studies, symbolic interactionist, and life course theories provided the theoretical framework for interpreting the findings of the study.;Racial identity did not emerge as a singular, distinct entity in this study. The meaning of being of mixed race is influenced by other aspects of social location such as age, gender, class and nation. Using grounded theory techniques, five dimensions of racial identity emerged: cultural identity, ascribed racial identity, racial identification to others, racial self-identification, and situational racialization of feeling. The age cohort of the participant (older or younger than 65) and the race of the nonwhite parent (Black or Asian American) were associated with different patterns of identity dimensions. These patterns are attributed to the influence of historical circumstances on identity. The dissertation provides an overview of significant events in African American and Asian American history and how they intersect with critical points in the life courses of the two age cohorts. This work demonstrates that racial identity for mixed race people cannot be understood outside of social and historical context.