ABSTRACT
The topic of multiraciality and the experiences of multiracial youth often escape attention in schools and find scarce coverage in theoretical and empirical scholarship emerging from the field of education. The growing but still small body of educational literature related to multiraciality focuses primarily on the role of classroom teachers and the curriculum in shaping the experiences of multiracial students (e.g., Cruz-Janzen, 1997; Schwartz, 1998; Wardle, 1992, 2000b; Wardle & Cruz-Janzen, 2004) and the personal (as opposed to academic) experiences of multiracial K-12 and university students (e.g., Basu, 2007, Lopez, 2004; Mohan, b; Renn, a; Sheets, 2004). Much of this literature focuses on Black/White biracial students and families (e.g., Brunsma, 2005; Caballero, Haynes, & Tikly, 2007; Fryer, Kahn, Levitt, & Spenkuch, 2008; Gibbs & Hines, 1992; Kerwin, Ponterotto, Jackson, & Harris, 1993; Rockquemore & Laszloffy, 2005; Williams, 2009) to the exclusion of individuals representing other racial and ethnic heritage combinations, for example, Chinese-Mexican (dual minority), White-Native American (moving beyond the Black/White binary), or second generation multiracial/multiethnic (individuals whose parents are not monoracial). To date, very little attention has been paid to the specific role of educational leaders in providing an equitable, excellent, and empowering education for multiracial students. There are, in other words, significant gaps in the educational literature, and especially in the educational leadership literature, related to multiracial students. This being the case, our purpose here is to critically analyze the literature related to multiraciality and multiracial students and, in doing so, to identify implications for those working in the field of educational leadership. In addition, we discuss the significant gaps in the research and literature and provide recommendations for future research.
