Crossings: Swarthmore Undergraduate Feminist Research Journal
Abstract
The fundamental basis of my final paper will be of my own lived experience. In my paper, I will argue that as a result of an interracial divorce, mixed-race children are learning to code-switch leading to a greater sense of empathy and community. I will pull from the theoretical framework of Gloria Anzaldua’s “Borderlands La Frontera: The New Mestiza” as well as other sources to support my claims.
By focusing heavily on a southern perspective, I will question whether or not a history of southern interracial marriage causes a strain on nuclear families. Are interracial children having new experiences, and why? What is code-switching? Why is there a lack of conversation about interracial code switching? Posing these questions will lead into an analysis of children who have to go back and forth across spaces, carrying and removing language with them as they travel.
I am choosing to focus on the feminist theoretical framework that supports notions of “otherness.” Otherness meaning a sense of difference, a feeling of being an outcast, or a lack of a safe space.By showing that otherness can be celebrated, I will show the positivity that can stem from a negative experience.
Recommended Citation
Grant, Zoe R. (2023) "Development of Southern Interracial Marriage and Divorce: Why Our Children are Code-Switching," Crossings: Swarthmore Undergraduate Feminist Research Journal: 1 (1), 138-149. https://works.swarthmore.edu/crossings/vol1/iss1/11
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