Raising Multiracial Children

Tools for Nurturing Identity in a Racialized World

By: Farzana Nayani, Paul Spickard - introduction, Velina Hasu Houston

Narrated by: Janina Edwards

The essential guide to parenting multiracial and multiethnic children of all ages and learning to support and celebrate their multiracial identities

In a world where people are more likely to proclaim color-blindness than talk openly about race, how can we truly value, support, and celebrate our kids' identities? How can we assess our own sense of Racial Dialogue Readiness and develop a deeper understanding of the issues facing multiracial children today?

Raising Multiracial Children gives caregivers the tools for exploring race with their children, offering practical guidance on how to initiate conversations; consciously foster racial identity development; discuss issues like microaggressions, intersectionality, and privilege; and intentionally cultivate a sense of belonging. It provides an overview of key issues and current topics relevant to raising multiracial children and offers strategies and developmentally appropriate milestones from infancy through adulthood. The book ends with resources and references for further learning and exploration.

Critic reviews

“An indispensable study that illustrates the importance of speaking with children on race so that they can be prepared to deal with the reality of it throughout their lives. It is a vital book for parents, caregivers, and educators committed to this kind of work. Bravo!”
—Rudy P. Guevarra Jr., author of Becoming Mexipino: Multiethnic Identities and Communities in San Diego

“Far too often, race is examined and discussed along a Black and White binary, which leaves multiracial children feeling as though they do not have a place at the table. In order to strive for racial inclusion and justice, our conversations must include the nuances of multiracial identity."
—Liz Kleinrock, educator and founder of Teach and Transform

“Raising Multiracial Children provides exercises, questions, an intersectional analysis, curricula, and age-appropriate guidelines for nurturing and supporting the next generation of multiracial people and their allies.”
—Paul Kivel, educator, activist, and author of Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice

“My wife is Indian, born in New Delhi, and I am African American, born in the American South. Our three children—the ‘Three Little Blindians’—are growing up in Los Angeles with a vastly different experience than either of us had. On my wife’s side of the family tree, our children can trace their roots back to the founding of New Delhi. On my side, we’re aware of a few proud generations, and we’ve also had to find joy in discovering our African roots together. We’ve done our best to teach them that they are not ‘half’ anything. Rather, they have two rich ancestries that they can call on to ground them in their journey through life. As we have experienced in our own Black and Indian family, raising multiracial children is such a critical topic. Farzana isolates invaluable tools to help give any child a more comprehensive sense of self-identity.”
—Jason George, actor from Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, on raising children with his wife, writer and educator Vandana Khanna

“I can’t imagine a person more qualified to write about multiracial and multicultural children than Farzana Nayani. She presents excellent advice to parents, teachers, and cross-cultural trainers concerning the challenges and opportunities faced by multiracial children. She brings a rich background to this task based on years of careful study, knowledge learned from leading workshops, and her own experiences as a spouse and mother.”
—Richard W. Brislin, professor emeritus, University of Hawai`i

an important read for everyone!

This book will bring you greater understanding of what it means to be multiracial. The author defines a lot of terms that you may have heard recently. She discusses the number of challenges that people of mixed race have operating in society. She has a lot of resources to help you explore your identity if you are multiracial and to help bring understanding to others. This book is a great resource for teachers parents and children. thank you.

a must read for multiracial families

this book is a must read for multiracial families and individuals that are in contact with multiracial individuals.

must have for mixed people

this is a must have book for every multiracial and mixed person (even if you don't have kids because you always need to address your inner child) or for parents of multiracial individuals.