Multiracial Identity

Have you ever wondered how individuals who come from a biracial and bicultural background find their identity? Through the eyes of the protagonist, the reader is taken on a journey to unravel how biracial children cope with society’s idea of race, in the young adult novel, THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY, by Heidi W. Durrow. Due to a tragic incident that left her entirely alone, a young Danish and African American girl named Rachel moves into a majority black community in Portland, Oregon. While settling into her grandmother’s home, Rachel’s life turns upside down because she no longer lived in a multicultural community, but a majority black town. As a result, Rachel learns that her Danish culture will have to be a part of the past
As a result, “Dual heritage of many biracial children is merely invisible” (“Supporting Biracial Children Identity Development”) because they are forced to identify with the heritage that has their physical features. Therefore, the ability to feel a sense of belonging is virtually impossible because the child will never “fully identify with the ancestral traditions of the parents” (“Biological Problems with Mixed Race”). Identity plays a huge role in the ability of a multiracial child to feel accepted in their skin, culture, and heritage. Not only does the physical appearance of the child play a crucial role in their acceptance into society, but how they will identify themselves. Often multiracial children struggle to have a sense of belonging into their parent’s culture because their community may see them as an outcast. Resulting in the child feeling isolated because they are not able to identify with a cultural group. If belonging to a heritage is based of physical appearance, than multiracial children will never be able to identify with their parents. As a result, classifying race by certain characteristics unable multiracial children ability to find their