The state of American politics in the age of Obama: striving for a post-racist vs. “post-racial” society

In the social sciences ideology is often viewed as problematic without empirical evidence to support assertions about the social world. While empirical data often supports research findings and new scientific inquiries—it is ideology that often informs behavior in human beings. As the essays in this collection assert—multiracial identity and the construction of mixed race hegemony has profound implications on socioeconomic status, parenting, politics, public policy, the arts, history, and literary analysis. The contributors to this book demonstrate with complex and diverse examples how contemporary American politics in the United States is still deeply affected by race and ethnicity, but these unique essays also provide an understanding of how these discussions play out not just in terms of ideology, but in practice. To grapple with the future of U.S. politics and group relations will require critical engagement with multiraciality in both historic and contemporary contexts.

The implications of the questions raised by this volume are numerous. At stake is the future of U.S. national identity, pluralism, and global competition. How will future generations respond to the significant changes in the U.S. population that occur as a result of interracial marriage, immigration, and the global and transnational transfer of culture?