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Do interracial parents invest more in their children?

Posted by Ria, 13 Jun

Do interracial parents invest more in their children?

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According to a study appearing in the American Journal of Sociology, interracial parents tend to spend more time and money on their kids than mono-racial parents do. They are more likely to provide their children with the best of everything… a home computer, private schooling, educational books and CDs, and they also ensure that their kids are active participants in outside school activities.

The author of this study explains that this high investment in their children is a counterweight or response to the social challenges faced by interracial couples. Since they constantly face challenges in being a couple, they are aware of the challenges their children might or will be facing and this becomes a way of trying to compensate for their ‘misery’.

However there was one interesting exception to the findings of this study… black father/white mother families tend to invest fewer resources into kids than do black mono-racial couples and white mono-racial couples. Quite interesting! So how do you explain this one?

So do we bring in the social class issue… that those who invest more do so for the very obvious reason… they are wealthier? Was social class factored into this study?

Well… the explanation given for interracial parents spending more seems plausible – social & cultural opposition. I myself would probably find myself offering more emotional and material support just so my kids don’t appear different in all ways - from color to class.

Contrary to negative opinions about interracial families, the data collected shows that interracial parents seem to be well aware of the extra challenges they face and are doing whatever they can to prepare their children to effectively face those challenges. So does this make interracial parents better parents just coz they invest more in their kids to make up for lingering hostility they face? And if so, how come in the case of black father/white mother, the parents spent less than their mono-racial counterparts?

Tags: interracial children, interracial family, interracial parents

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  1.   Wonka says:
    Posted: 28 Feb 10

    I'm not surprised by the statistics,however I can guarantee you it's not that way in all of these cases.

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  2.   GaPeach says:
    Posted: 07 Nov 09

    As a mixed race family we want to try to connect with others like us. Can not speak for others but I sometimes find myself on guard for the referrences other make to their aappearance. Blond and blue with vary dark parent. The are young. They know color, the sky is blue, Barney is purple. People come in varied shades of brown and peach. Race? What does that have to do with anything. Who's running? Why?

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  3.   ren says:
    Posted: 01 Jun 09

    I actually think RayneDelay has a good point--I've seen far too many mixed kids grow up saying they're special because they're mixed (I am, too, btw, so not a dig at mixed kids, just suggesting they got that mindset from somewhere) and a couple people indicating they would prefer to have kids who look light-skinned or mixed--but I'm also having a hard time truly believing that parents with mixed kids go all out for their kids vs other parents. The black father/white mother exception is interesting simply for the fact that...it seems like the most visible parents of those kinds ARE wealthy, i.e. celebs. Although I've known many mixed kids, I have not really know mixed couples with kids...so I have no idea whether black fathers/white mothers have less money (my father is white/mother black and Native American). I've just always gotten the impression from black men who prefer white women and white women who prefer black men that neither of them totally seem to think about or care that race means anything in our society. I mean, of course, with black men, you hear negative comments about black women as to why some of them prefer white women...but there's also a sect that says stuff like "race doesn't matter," just like the white woman does, when they both clearly prefer one race. So they seem to be in denial sometimes and, thus, don't seem to fully grasp what they're getting into or what being biracial will mean for their child, despite what this article says. I don't know, though...

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  4.   Rita87 says:
    Posted: 31 Mar 09

    I disagree with you RayneDelay on why biracial children are invested in more by their parents. I believe it's because their parents want to protect them more, due to identity crisis knowing that it will be a little more difficult for their child being biracial. When their kids go to school, they'll have to deal with "Am I White" or "Am I Black" which could lead to self esteem issues and as I stated earlier, identity crisis.

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  5.   Member says:
    Posted: 26 May 08

    It probably has to do with economics (the diff between black father/white mother combinations and other racial combos of parents). Most of the black father/white mother combinations I know of are not doing well financially. I know some who are, but they are all married and together for a long time. I wonder what other factors were taken into account, such as: being married, having other children outside of that relationship (meaning there is less money to invest in the children of the current union), etc?

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  6.   Jade74 says:
    Posted: 09 Sep 07

    We all should invest more in our children whether they are bi-racial or not.They are our future.

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  7.   RayneDelay says:
    Posted: 21 Jul 07

    Yes, I was the favorite child with my father and it created a lot of insecurites among my brothers and sisters. And they still have problems because of it. And they are grown folks now.

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  8.   Thomas says:
    Posted: 19 Jul 07

    Hi RayneDelay, we all know that is very difficult to avoid unfaireness between the kids because it comes very often out of specific situations. However, we should always try. I hope that my kids will never tell me that I chose a favorit.

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  9.   RayneDelay says:
    Posted: 18 Jul 07

    Thomas that's the way it should be. My father chose favorites and it caused resentment amoung the kids.

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  10.   Thomas says:
    Posted: 18 Jul 07

    I have no bi-racial kids but I would always do my very best for my kids, doesnt matter if they are bi-racial or not.

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  11.   RayneDelay says:
    Posted: 17 Jul 07

    In my opinion and my experiences with biracial children is that interracial couples are more likely to invest more in their children for the simple fact that they feel as if they have something special by having a bi-racial kid (color struck) or like some sort of boobie prize. I know several black mothers whom have black children from their first husbands/childs father (black men) and have trouble getting along with them due to the fact that the black child does not like how they were treated and the the black child feels like the biracial sibling is treated better or favored. I have to agree with them. Look at all the biracial celebrities like Halle Berry. Many White mothers tend to dote on there little brown babies and enter them into beauty contests. Even in the same race couples/families, the lighter skinned kid or blonde/fair skinned kid is favored. Color seems to be an issue. I agree with the article when the writer said that the parents are more protective due to the issues that biracial kids will face. Keep in mind that all children will face issues at an early age in schools. Another example of race being an issue when it comes to favoring one child over the other; Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Angie stated that her white child was a blob compared to her children of other races. I think this is an issue that every family has experienced.

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  12.   doremi says:
    Posted: 16 Jul 07

    "they are aware of the challenges their children might or will be facing and this becomes a way of trying to compensate for their ‘misery’..(!) I don't believe in this article's protrayal of mixed kids lives as a misery! No child irrespective of what race should be viewed as such. These are people who manifest negative societal norms. Even a child with celebralpalsy living in daily pain should never be portrayed as a 'misery'. Children are God's gift, please try to refrain from using such forums to channel your negative thoughts!

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  13.   sonu786 says:
    Posted: 09 Jul 07

    thanks for all,

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  14.   mossimo says:
    Posted: 06 Jul 07

    All in favor say aye!!!

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  15.   fala says:
    Posted: 27 Jun 07

    I agree Coco! It's unanimous! You're a great mother and a wonderful person!

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  16.   Thomas says:
    Posted: 26 Jun 07

    Cocokisses, I think you are a very good mother.

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  17.   mossimo says:
    Posted: 26 Jun 07

    Cocokisses....you are a wonderful mother and woman

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  18.   Thomas says:
    Posted: 25 Jun 07

    Anybody there?!?

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  19.   Thomas says:
    Posted: 22 Jun 07

    Hello@all

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  20.   Thomas says:
    Posted: 19 Jun 07

    All parents should always invest in their children as much as they can doesnt matter if they interracial or not. But that is not the reality and we should not forget the ones who are not in the position to do that. We all know that miserable creates miserbale.

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  21.   laugh_sailor says:
    Posted: 18 Jun 07

    You sound like a wonderful, thoughtful and (of course) caring mother, Cocokisses - My hat's off to you.

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  22.   Cocokisses says:
    Posted: 18 Jun 07

    Its funny Fala, but I am sure I am not the only person with a bi-racial child. I think I am able to provide a better life for her because I waited until my career was established before I gave birth. Maybe that's why I can do the things I do for her...I wasn't a teenage mom when I had her.

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  23.   fala says:
    Posted: 17 Jun 07

    I agree with you Cocokisses.

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  24.   mossimo says:
    Posted: 15 Jun 07

    Thanks for the article Ria....very interesting

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  25.   fala says:
    Posted: 15 Jun 07

    Good point Laugh_Sailor - thanks for bringing up that anniversary. Amazing that it only happened 40 years ago, isn't it?

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  26.   laugh_sailor says:
    Posted: 14 Jun 07

    Thanks for the enlightening article, Ria. Did you check out Monday's NPR article on interracial relationships, on the 40th. anniversary of the Supreme Court's Loving decision, vacating all miscegenation laws? A very touching and enlightening piece, archived on National Public Radio.

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  27.   Cocokisses says:
    Posted: 13 Jun 07

    I can't speak for the brothers, but I find this article to be very true. My daughter has the best of everything. She is a self proclaimed "spoiled brat". I don't mind as long as she keeps making the grades. I have to admit that since I don't have any other kids, I have nothing to compare it to. As a Mom, I do believe I will give my children the best that I can, whether they are bi-racial, or not.

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  28.   Cocokisses says:
    Posted: 13 Jun 07

    I can't speak for the brothers, but I find this article to be very true. My daughter has the best of everything. She is a self proclaimed "spoiled brat". I don't mind as long as she keeps making the grades. I have to admit that since I don't have any other kids, I have nothing to caompare it to. As a Mom, I do beliee I will give my children the best that I can, whether they are bi-racial, or not.

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