Critical Mixed Race Philosophy: Rethinking Kinship and Identity

Critical Mixed Race Philosophy: Rethinking Kinship and Identity reimagines mixed race studies, arguing that commonplace and widely accepted ways of understanding mixedness are mired in outdated and essentialist assumptions about race, biology, and kinship. Sabrina L. Hom explores the intersection of race, sex, and sexuality and calls for a nuanced understanding of the politics of mixed race. Commonplace narratives treat mixedness as something new and transformative, but it is neither as promising nor as fearful as it may seem. Instead, the author draws on rich mixed race histories both to make the case that mixedness has always been a part of the racial landscape and to argue for a more dynamic understanding of race that reflects how frequently ambiguous bodies are incorporated into racial logic. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, Critical Mixed Race Philosophy articulates a non-essentialist conception of mixed race identity and kinship that asks us to rethink what it means to be mixed and where mixed people fit into racial politics.

Sabrina L. Hom is associate professor of philosophy and affiliate faculty of women’s and gender studies at Georgia College and State University.