According to the New York Times, one in seven new marriages in the United States is between spouses of different races or ethnicities. Multiracial and multiethnic Americans (usually grouped together as “mixed race”) are one of the country’s fastest-growing demographic groups. And experts expect the trend to continue and/or accelerate. (Source: Data from 2008 and 2009 that was analyzed by the Pew Research Center and U.S. Census 2010.) Many young adults of mixed backgrounds are rejecting the color lines that have defined Americans for generations in favor of a much more fluid sense of identity. No one knows quite how the growth of the multiracial population will change the country. Optimists say the blending of the races is a step toward transcending race, to a place where America is free of bigotry, prejudice and programs like affirmative action.Pessimists say that a more powerful multiracial movement will lead to more stratification and come at the expense of the number … [Read more...]