Despite increasing racial diversity in the United States, and the particular growth of multiracial populations, questions about how children perceive others’ (bi)racial identities remain poorly understood. In two preregistered studies, we asked White and racially minoritized American children (N = 157; 4–11‐years old) and White and multiracial adults (N = 226) how acceptable it was for monoracial people (Black or White; Study 1) and/or biracial people (Black–White; Studies 1 and 2) to claim either a monoracial or biracial identity. Consistent with past research with adults, children said that monoracial people should claim (only) the monoracial identity which matched their ancestry. Judgements about biracial identity were more variable. White and multiracial adults (Study 2) reported that biracial targets could claim a racial identity that matched either or both of their parents, with biracial claims being evaluated most positively. Exploratory analyses on children's judgements about biracial people's identity claims (Study 1) revealed different patterns of development for White children and children from minoritized backgrounds. Whereas White children became more likely with age to report that all identity claims were acceptable, children from racially minoritized groups became more likely with age to endorse biracial targets who claimed a biracial identity. These findings suggest that children's own racial background and age may have a larger impact on their perceptions of biracial people's identities, compared to their perceptions of monoracial people's identities.

中文翻译：

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对单一种族和混血儿的身份主张的判断有所不同


尽管美国的种族多样性日益增加，而且多种族人口不断增长，但人们对儿童如何看待他人（双）种族身份的问题仍然知之甚少。在两项预先注册的研究中，我们询问了白人和少数种族的美国儿童（N = 157；4-11 岁）以及白人和多种族成年人（N = 226），单种族人群（黑人或白人；研究 1）的接受程度如何和/或混血儿（黑人与白人；研究 1 和 2）声称单一种族或混血身份。与过去对成年人的研究一致，儿童表示，单一种族的人应该（仅）声称与其血统相匹配的单一种族身份。对混血身份的判断更加多变。白人和多种族成年人（研究 2）报告称，混血目标可以声称其种族身份与其父母之一或双方相匹配，其中混血身份的评价最为积极。对儿童对混血儿身份主张的判断的探索性分析（研究 1）揭示了白人儿童和少数民族背景儿童的不同发展模式。随着年龄的增长，白人儿童更有可能报告所有身份主张都是可以接受的，而来自少数种族群体的儿童随着年龄的增长，更有可能支持声称具有混血身份的混血目标。这些发现表明，与单一种族人士的身份认知相比，儿童自身的种族背景和年龄可能对他们对混血儿身份的认知产生更大的影响。