9781422282663

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Chapter One WHAT IS A MULTIRACIAL FAMILY?

When Bill de Blasio was sworn in as mayor of New York City on January 1, 2015, the moment was significant for several reasons. For one thing, the elec- tion of de Blasio, a Democrat, was a political change for the city. But for many people around the country, de Blasio’s victory represented something more personal. De Blasio is white, his wife, Chirlane McCray, is black, and together they have two biracial children, Chiara and Dante. This made de Blasio the first white politician with a black spouse to be elected to a major office in the

Words to Understand

census: a survey of a particular population. demographers: people who study information about people and communities. ethnicity: a group that has a shared cultural heritage. transracial: involving more than one race; across racial lines.