Welcome to the FIRST issue of the MRKC newsletter. This issue features:

Vision, Mission & Goals Our Leadership Team Graduate Student SPOTLIGHT Featured Research Professional Development Pictures Getting Involved with the MRKC

Greetings MultiRacial Knowledge Community Family!

I am honored to serve as your Chair for the new MultiRacial Knowledge Com-munity (MRKC), and to work with such amazing colleagues as a part of the MRKC leadership team. We are excited for you to receive this first edition of the MRKC newsletter. The objective for this newsletter is to help us achieve our foundation as a community and source of knowledge. Although we are NASPA’s newest KC, I think you will find we are already moving forward and making great progress in our goals.

In this newsletter you will find an overview about the KC, introduction to the members of your current Leadership Team, a student perspective piece, and a featured research article. The newsletter also includes a link to the MRKC’s fea-tured article in the NASPA Fall 2011 KC Publication: Excellence in Practice. Fi-nally, there is a list of volunteer opportunities regarding how you may get in-volved in the MRKC.

We hope each of you will become invested in the MRKC in some way. Member-ship involvement is crucial for our KC to be vibrant and have an active voice in NASPA and the field of higher education. Whether or not you attend any of the NASPA conference, we want the MRKC to be a place of connection, support, resources, and information for each member. Your voice and involvement are critical for the MRKC to meet its purpose and objectives.

In closing, as we enter a time of year where we are often asked to reflect upon the theme of gratitude, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for joining me in the journey to recognize, educate, celebrate, and honor our multifaceted and complex community.

In solidarity,

Yvonne Lin Giovanis

Welcome from our Chair!

MultiRacial

A newsletter provided by NASPA’s MultiRacial Knowledge Community

To be a dynamic and supportive organization that brings multiracial and mixed-heritage is-sues and related re-search to the forefront of higher education.

The mission of the MRKC is to advocate on behalf of multira-cial and mixed-heritage (hereafter referred to as multi-racial) individuals, support those who work with/educate multira-cial students, and gain a pres-ence within NASPA. We seek to raise awareness of multiracial issues and provide a support network for NASPA members who identify with more than one race.

Through the development of educational initiatives, engaging in critical dialogues, and cultivat-ing scholarly research, we seek to offer practical knowledge for administrators working with multiracial students and col-leagues. We invite those inter-ested in learning more about multiracial professionals and/or students on our campuses, those researching and/or teach-ing about multiracial people, and our advocates and allies, to

participate with us as we learn together and enhance multira-cial consciousness in our com-munities and institutions of higher education. Finally, we seek to offer support to transracial adoptees who might self-identify differently than multiracial individuals but share similar experiences re-lated to identity, cultural affilia-tion, and affinity groups.

Our Vision

Our Mission

PAGE 2 MULTIRACIAL KC NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1

Inclusivity

Support

Education

Advocacy

Our Values

Multiracial [muhl-tee-rey-shuh]

As multiracial and transracial adoptee populations grow, the need for higher education professionals to un-

derstand specific issues surrounding identity is imperative. Multiracial is defined as those identifying as hav-

ing more than one race (mixed, hapa, etc.) or exploring an identity that includes more than one race. In Cen-

sus 2000, the population of the United States was shown to be 281.4 million. “Of the total, 6.8 million peo-

ple, or 2.4 percent reported more than one race. Census 2000 asked separate questions on race and Hispanic

and Latino origin. Hispanics who reported more than one race are included in the two or more races popula-

tion” (Census 2000 brief, 2001). For purposes of this knowledge community, transracial adoptee describes an

adoptee of color who was adopted and raised by White parents in the United States.

PAGE 3 MULTIRACIAL KC NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1

We commit to…

Provide education on the complexities of developing a healthy multiracial identity.

Build advocates committed to meeting the needs and serving the interests of multiracial students.

Create opportunities for NASPA members to engage issues related to the multiracial population.

Encourage research and supply resources to strengthen best practices for promoting the success of the multiracial population within higher education.

Promote and model collaborative relationships with other KCs and organiza-tions that compliment the MRKC mission.

MultiRacial KC Chair Yvonne Giovanis

Yvonne Lin Giovanis is the Associate Director for the Alcohol & Drug Edu-cation Center at Texas Christian Uni-versity. Yvonne served NASPA as the Region III AIPKC Representative for several years, and the Volunteer

Headquarters Chair at the national conference twice. Her goal of starting a group to address multiracial issues and support multiracial Student Affairs profes-sionals was realized with the approval of the MRKC in 2011.

Vice-Chair

Dr. CeCe Ridder

CeCe Ridder is the Director of Student Life at The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business. She has a PhD in Higher Education Administration, and completed her dissertation on mul-tiracial college students in organizations and the impact on racial identity. CeCe

is passionate about students of color, research and cooking. She is also a mother of twins!

Vice-Chair

Jennifer Wells

Jenn Wells is the Assistant Director for Counseling & Student Services in the Office of Student Affairs at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Educa-tion, and Human Development within New York University. Jenn oversees

the agenda of direct service to NYU Steinhardt stu-dents, including educational and personal counseling, new student programs, leadership development, and diversity initiatives. Jenn possesses a passion for so-cial justice education and is a strong advocate for inclusion and advocacy for underrepresented and marginalized student populations.

Communication Sherlene Ayala

Sherlene is the Assistant Director at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. (NJIT) She specifically works with Lead-ership, Diversity and First Year Initia-tives. Sherlene has joined NJIT in August after working for Iona College for three

years. Originally from Harlem, NY, Sherlene has al-ways been interested in diversity and advancing our under represented youth. Her goals are to return to school to pursue a Doctoral degree & teach in a masters level student affairs program.

Please take a minute to learn about the women and men who serve in leadership positions within the MultiRacial Knowledge Community (MRKC).

Research

Dr. Natasha Chapman

Serves as the Director of the TCU Lead-ership Center. Her responsibilities in-clude providing primary oversight to the Center, serving as a liaison to commu-nity constituencies, coordinating and instructing leadership seminars, and de-veloping individualized training opportu-

nities. Currently, her professional interests include leadership education and development, social change leadership, strengths-based leadership, multiracial identity development, and dialogues on race, power and privilege.

Membership

Cerise Edmonds

Cerise Edmonds serves as Coordinator for Cross-Cultural Affairs in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Louisiana State University. She holds a B.S. in Family and Child Development and a M.Ed. in Student Affairs from Texas

State University-San Marcos. Edmonds specifically works with on-campus Hispanic initiatives and imple-ments leadership and other student development programs for all students of color.

NUFP/New Professional Liaison

Kimberly McAloney

I am the New Professionals, Grad Stu-dent, and NUFP liaison. I'm a second year graduate student in the College Student Services Administration pro-gram at Oregon State University. I'm

interested in intersecting identities, access and equity in higher education, and multiraical identity develop-ment.

Conference Co-Liaison

Dr. Paul Porter

Dr. Porter is the Director of First Year Ex-perience at Marian University in Indian-apolis. He earned his doctorate in Educa-tional Leadership from Indiana State Uni-versity, becoming the first African Ameri-can Male in the history of ISU's program

to do so. His research interests include Critical Race Theory, racial identity and performativity, African American men in college, and multicultural compe-tence in student affairs. His dissertation was a statis-tical analysis of multicultural competence among stu-dent affairs administrators at member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Conference Co-Liaison

Marissiko Wheaton

Marissiko Wheaton is the Residence Hall Assistant Director in Gramercy Green at New York University. She oversees all community development programs and initiatives within the residence hall, while supervising an RA staff and advis-

ing the hall council. Marissiko is dedicated to social justice education and is interested in research focus-ing on college student identity development and un-derrepresented communities in higher education.

MultiRacial KC Reg. 1 Rep.

Aaron King

Currently, Aaron is serving as an Education Advisor for TERI College Planning Center (an EOC in Boston Public Library). During this time he is taking a quick stint as a stu-dent further exploring his interests in the intersections of social psychology and edu-cation, stereotypes and prejudice, and

leadership and identity development. Some non-academic or professional interests include exploring food around Boston and training for his first Boston Marathon.

MultiRacial KC Reg. 2 Rep.

Victor Lee

Victor is a Property Manager at The George Washington University. In addition to his role as a Student Affairs Professional, he identifies as a Son, Husband, Brother and Involved father of

three. Victor strives to make a difference in the lives of first generation and marginalized college students.

MultiRacial KC Reg. 3 Rep.

Heather Haynes Smith

Heather Haynes Smith has worked at Duke University since 2008 and is re-sponsible for Leadership Development and Social Action Programming at the University Center Activities and Events. Her research interests include: Student leadership development, access to higher education, issues of cultural

competency and intercultural communication. She serves as the Region III Representative for the Multi-Racial Knowledge Community.

MultiRacial KC Reg. 4E Rep.

Latoya Gates

I am the Assistant Director of Multicul-tural Education at Hope College in Hol-land, MI. As the Region IV East Represen-tative, I am committed to promoting mul-tiracial issues in higher education, and helping to build a professional network of multiracial practitioners and other col-

leagues committed to the MRKC mission. My own undergraduate experience was pivotal in helping to develop a healthy biracial identity; therefore, I am eager to promote how different colleges are success-fully engaging multiracial students on campus.

MultiRacial KC Reg. 4W Rep.

Ashlee Roberts

Ashlee Roberts is currently the Coordi-nator of Diversity and Service in the Of-fice of Student Life at University of Mis-souri-St. Louis. She is a proud Memphis Tiger and Fighting Gamecock, graduat-ing with Bachelor Degrees in Psychol-ogy, English, and African & African

American Studies, from the former university, and a Master's of Education in Higher Education Admini-stration from the University of South Carolina. Her interests include watching sports (especially cheering on her alma maters), grammar rules, and trivia.

MultiRacial KC Reg. 5 Rep.

DJ Zissen

Hello! My name is DJ Zissen and I am the Region V Representative for the MRKC! I work at Oregon State Univer-sity as an International Admissions As-sistant. My interests are working with Multiracial students, LGBT students, and taking time to read a good book

(professionally or for fun!). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

MultiRacial KC Reg. 6 Rep.

Danielle Martinez

My name is Danielle Martinez and I cur-rently serve as the Region VI represen-tative and a Residence Director a the University of San Francisco. Beyond working on Hapa issues and higher edu-cation, I love to hula dance, cook, and

bake. The MRKC is still looking for sub regional rep-resentatives. If you are interested in serving as a liai-son from Northern California, Southern California, Nevada, or Hawai'i, please contact Danielle Martinez at dlmartinez2@usfca.edu or if you are interested in generating some new knowledge, let us know!

“Mixed but not Shaken” A reflection piece written by Dilanthi Graham, Graduate Student

As a child, I never understood the funny looks my parents and I would receive from strangers. I

imagined everyone elicited the same stares. As I got older, those looks turned to questions. Many multi-

racial people have heard them all before. Can I touch your hair? What are you? Are those your parents?

My favorite activity was when people would like to play the guess your ethnic background game. These

reactions force you to start thinking about your identity and then negotiating that identity sooner than

most young people. In my case, I had an extremely diverse family and upbringing. Therefore, I never had

to choose or alter my behavior to belong when around them. School is where I experienced the most con-

fusion. I attended mostly predominantly White schools. I felt compelled to identify with the other minority

students because frankly I was brown like them. The older I became the more I started to question how I

represent myself to others. After 26 years of feeling mixed up, I can now say I am comfortable with my-

self and learned to embrace my multiracial background.

Most people would feel privileged to be able to totter on multiple racial or ethnic lines, but the real-

ity is that it is not that simple. People can be open and accepting, which is wonderful. At the same time,

they can see you as just another person or student, ignoring all the unique and beautiful qualities that are

a part of the multiracial experience. Then there will always be those contentious situations where people

are not ready for change and will let you know it. As the 2010 U.S. Census has indicated, the number of

multiracial children are growing. Like it or not, change is coming. Much progress has been made in

terms of multicultural education, but in all my time spent in higher education dialogue on bi-racial and

multiracial identity has been lacking. This is one important reason why I decided to enter the field of Stu-

dent Affairs. Instead of believing that someday someone else would step into a position to be able to

help students from diverse backgrounds, I decided I needed to be that person. Through my experiences

as an emerging professional, I see how there are strides made in regard to other ethnic minority groups

as their needs demand certain services and programs. In the very near future, the same attention must

be given to multiracial students to insure their success and make certain they are on the right path. We

need to start incorporating more inclusive and supportive environments for multiracial and biracial stu-

dents at all levels of education, to help make their identity development process less shaky and their fu-

ture successes more certain.

Dilanthi Graham

Graduate Student at Wright State University studying Higher Education Administration in Student Affairs

Incorporating Multiple Identities into Campus Planning Kim McAloney, Oregon State University DJ Zissen, Oregon State University

On the modern campus, learning opportunities abound for students both in and outside the classroom. But such opportunities are of little use if students do not take advantage of them. With the increasing numbers of college students who identify as biracial or multiracial, it is imperative that we ensure that the opportunities we offer are inclusive and we coming to this growing demographic. Multiracial students often speak of having a foot in two or more worlds, of having to “choose” how they identify. According to Chapman (2004, p. 3), “although individu-als may perceive their identity as being whole, society and even family perceive their identity as being dual, in many situations forcing biracial individuals to choose.” This intersection of multiple races or cultural identities can be challenging for students, and may be compounded if we are not using language or appropriate frameworks to let students know their “whole selves” are welcome.

Read the rest of this featured research online: http://www.universityparent.com/mk/naspa/2012-NASPA-final.pdf

Multiracial Students in Higher Education: Thinking Outside of the Box Marney E. Randal Colorado State University

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the demographics of multiracial students, the community’s rise in attendance in higher education systems, and need for further support. As the 2000 census illustrates, the percentage of multiracial individuals in the United States is steadily increasing, especially among the younger population. Many of these individuals are currently in the university system or will be within the next few years. Multiracial students bring a unique background and perspective and are searching for support from universities. However, there are few support networks in place for the multiracial student population, particularly due to the absence of research on this community and lack of awareness of their specific needs. Thus, to appropriately serve this student popula-tion, there is a need for more research, as well as the establishment of a stronger support system through multi-racial advocacy offices and mixed race student organizations. Some universities have incorporated the needs of multiracial students into different diversity organizations and offices, but there is still significant work to be done in this area.

Read the rest of this featured research online: http://www.sahe.colostate.edu/Data/Sites/1/journalofstudentaffairs2010-2011final.pdf

NASPA KC Publications NASPA's Knowledge Communities produce a joint publication twice a year. Each of the 25 KCs contributes one article on a related "hot topic" in higher education and student affairs as part of the article. View these exciting KC publication online!

Our Featured Research

The NCORE® conference focuses on the complex task of creating and sus-taining comprehensive institutional change designed to improve racial and ethnic relations on campus and to ex-pand opportunities for educational access and success by culturally di-verse, traditionally underrepresented populations.

Learn More about the National Advisor Committee by visiting:

http://www.ncore.ou.edu/about_nac.html

The function of the NCORE® National Advisory Committee (NAC) shall be to assist in setting a vision for the confer-ence or implementing that vision by making recommendations with re-spect to the conference program, key-note speakers, and special events. As the name suggests, its function shall be advisory.

Upcoming NCORE Conference

Professional Development Opportunities

Apply to be a Member of the NCORE® National Advisory Committee

PAGE 9 MULTIRACIAL KC NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1

Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference

November 1-4, 2012

Call for Programs!

PAGE 10 MULTIRACIAL KC NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1, I SSUE 1

“What is Critical Mixed Race Studies?,” the Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference, will be held at DePaul University in Chicago on November 1-4, 2012. The conference brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines nationwide and is inviting panels, roundta-bles, and papers that address the conference theme, although participants are also welcome to submit pro-posals that speak to their own specialized research, pedagogical, or community-based interests. This interdisciplinary conference provides participants with the opportunity to gain multiple perspectives for critically exploring and investi-gating mixed race issues.

A sub-group of critical race theory, critical mixed race studies (CMRS) explores similar themes such as, race as a social construction, intersectionality, white supremacy, race being ordinary, and the voice of color thesis) as it relates to the mixed race experience (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). On the conference website (Critical Mixed Race Conference, 2011), CMRS is further described as the, “transracial, transdisciplinary, and transnational critical analysis of the institu-tionalization of social, cultural, and political orders based on dominant conceptions of race. CMRS emphasizes the mu-tability of race and the porosity of racial boundaries in order to critique processes of racialization and social stratifica-tion based on race. CMRS addresses local and global systemic injustices rooted in systems of racialization”.

During our MRKC meeting at the national convention, we shared several topics of interest that we hoped to further understand, educate, and investigate. A few broad, but very relevant topics that were taken from our conversation include: microaggression, the black-white binary, race and ethnic categorization, fluidity and racial identity, narratives and storytelling, trans-racial adoption, and the monoracial paradigm in higher education. Consider the implications of these topics from a critical mixed race lens; in what ways do they support, challenge, and question the themes noted above?

The CMRS conference is a great opportunity to hear from and share with other scholars, practitioners, and individuals interested in the mixed race experience. It is also an important venue to showcase the work we are doing in student affairs to bring attention to the unique needs and experiences of mixed race students. I encourage you to use the MRKC network as a resource to individually or collaboratively submit a proposal for this biennial conference. The pri-mary criterion for selection will be the quality of the proposal and the deadline is set for December 15th, 2011.

For more information regarding the conference visit: http://las.depaul.edu/aas/About/CMRSConference/index.asp

Our Leadership Team in ACTION!

Photos taken at the 2011 NASPA National Conference in Philadelphia, PA

GET INVOLVED WITH THE MRKC! We are looking for people to join our Leadership Team. Specifically, we are looking for :

Listserv Coordinator

WebMaster

Local Arrangements Coordinators for Annual Confer-ences

As well a people to join the Newsletter Team to assist with Layout, Design and Content Review.

If interested, please contact us at

MultiRacialKC@gmail.com

JOIN THE MULTIRACIAL KC LISTSERV Information sharing, general discussion, and feedback takes place here. Subscribers use the

listserv to ask questions and receive support. If you have a success story, frustrating experience or question, sharing your thoughts with other professionals is crucial to the success of both you

and the MRKC. To subscribe, email your request to jdesanto@naspa.org

“Multiracial Knowledge Community”

How can MRKC benefit you?

Provide best practices for working with multiracial students, staff and faculty.

Suggest tools for creating spaces on campus which allow for multiple/fluid identity expression and

celebration.

Connect you with a growing network of multiracial higher education professionals and

other colleagues committed to the MRKC mission.

Offer access to the latest research and articles addressing current trends that impact the multiracial

community.

This newsletter was created by Sherlene Ayala

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Ideas?

MultiRacialKC@gmail.com