Abstract
The current study explored the experiences of families including single mothers of multiple heritage children. Through narrative inquiry, interviews with a small number of single mothers and adult children from multiple heritage families explored how mothers educated their children about their culture and ethnicity and how children integrated cultural identity through their early development. Findings included narratives of mothers, adult children, and dialogues among the family dyads. Themes included Intersectional Cultural Identity, Ethnic Identity Development, Fostering Cultural Identity, and Seeking Belonging. This study contributes to understanding the cultural and ethnic identity formation of multiple heritage individuals and the implications for cultural awareness in working with families with diverse compositions and with multiple heritage members. Some highlights of the study include: the navigation of choices by single mothers in educating children about cultural history representing both sides of their family; children expressed pride in their identity by embracing all parts of their heritage, despite marginalization and discrimination; family relationships with fathers, sibling dynamics, and parenting styles influenced cultural identity development for children.
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25 April 2024
For first author, the given name has been tagged as single given name (Lay-nah Blue) instead of two given names.
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Morris-Howe, Ln., DeDiego, A.C. “Mixed:” Exploring Narratives of Single Mothers and Adult Children in Multiple Heritage Families. Contemp Fam Ther (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-023-09683-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-023-09683-8