What are you?: The impacts of salient relationships and monoracist experiences on multiracial individuals’ well-being

The multiracial population is one of the fastest growing groups as interracial partnerships continue to rise (Lee, 2008). This dissertation focused on multiracial Indian and white individuals and explored the processes of developing one’s identity and social relationships through identifiable experiences. The adult participants, located throughout the United States, recalled experiences from throughout their life that they encountered with peers, family members, community members, romantic partners, and other systems of support. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology, the research questions guiding the study were: 1) What are the ways in which salient relationships affect an Indian and white individual’s meaning-making of their multiracial identity? 2) What are the ways that monoracist experiences impact an Indian and white individual’s well-being? 3) What would an Indian and white individual like to tell mental health practitioners in regard to working with multiracial clients? The researcher’s findings from in-depth interviews with six participants included three major themes: A) Positive Resilience-Supporting Experiences, B) Negative-Hurtful Experiences, and C) Navigating Challenges and Life. An analysis of these findings, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed.