Where are the nations 7 million multiracial people?
The not-guilty verdicts in the Frank Jude Jr. beating case, comedian Michael Richards’ racist rant, Mayfair Mall’s parental guidance policy, Don Imus’ racist slurs – these are just some of the incidents within the past year that have generated a lot of talk about race relations in Milwaukee and throughout the country. However, there is one group that always seems to be ignored in our discourse: biracial and multiracial people. Although almost 7 million people identified themselves as multiracial in the 2000 U.S. census, which was the first year that more than one race could be indicated in the census, this population is virtually ignored in all aspects of society. Despite the rising popularity of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), political discussions rarely address the fact that a growing segment of the population identifies itself as multiracial. Even the oh-so-liberal entertainment industry, with its relatively large number of multiracial stars, doesn’t seem to offer much in the way of mu
