Work

Shifting Selves—The (In)flexibility of Part-White Mixed-Race Identities in Response to Identity Rejection and Acceptance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: = 337) examined how such experiences influence the strength of White, Minoritized, and Mixed identification. Participants recalled and described an experience of acceptance or rejection from a racial-ethnic ingroup. We assessed White, Minoritized, and Mixed identification both weeks before and immediately after this manipulation. Results consistently showed that participants increased identification with an accepting ingroup but did not decrease identification with a rejecting ingroup. Furthermore, changes in one identification did not correspond to complementary changes in another. These findings challenge the assumption that identity shifts follow a hydraulic zero-sum pattern, implying a more complex and fluid process. Our research advances understanding of identity dynamics of mixed-race individuals with one White and one Minoritized parent and suggests that models should be refined to account for non-compensatory identity changes.

Source: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

DOI: 10.1177/01461672261478683

Authors: Anna X. Huang, Juliane Degner

Institution: Universität Hamburg

Language: English

Topic: Racial and Ethnic Identity Research

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900