Anti-multiracialism is the specific form of oppression that multiracial people face for being multiracial. This is not to insinuate that monoracial people have "monoracial privilege," but that multiracial people face a specific form of oppression for being multiracial. More specifically...
Anti-multiracialism is getting asked "What are you?" to mean "What's your race/ethnicity?"
In what way is this not dehumanizing, and why do you want to know so badly? This should not be the first question you ask us. It's fine if you're curious, but be curious when it's actually relevant or you get to be better friends with us. I don't see you asking white people what kind of European they are; why does it only matter when we're something other than European?
Furthermore, when you say "What are you" to mean "What's your race/ethnicity," it carries the implication that we are our race/ethnicity; that we're defined by it. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's not the least bit far-fetched to say that there are people who think all multiracial people are is our race or ethnicity.
Anti-multiracialism is when we answer that question and get told "You don't look [race/ethnicity]."
I am Han Chinese, and this is what I look like. Therefore, I look Han Chinese. Han Chinese people do not all look a certain way; even monoracial Han Chinese people have a variety of phenotypes. This applies to just about any other racial demographic.
Anti-multiracialism is when some of us aren't believed when we say what race or ethnicity we are.
Do you possess a copy of my DNA test that would contradict my testimony? Right, I thought not. Therefore, your claims are invalid and you can shut the hell up.
Anti-multiracialism is constantly feeling like we have to prove ourselves.
"I celebrate all the Chinese holidays, I get red envelopes from my relatives, I play erhu, I speak two Chinese languages, my grandparents don't even speak English and I've been ching-chonged in school."
Who else has recited a list like this -- of your experiences with racism, the cultural traditions you practice, and/or how exposed you are to your culture? Most multiracial people have, but we shouldn't have to. We do not need credentials for our heritage.
Anti-multiracialism is being told we're not "[race/ethnicity] enough" based on our percentages.
We are people, not pie-charts. If we identify with that part of our heritage, we have every right to, and there's probably a good reason why we identify with it. You could possibly know us better than we do, so stop defining us for us when we've already done that.
Anti-multiracialism is people saying "Mixed babies are so cute!"
Nice to know we're fetishized and exotified from the moment we're born.
Anti-multiracialism is when some of us are told that we're "mixed weird."
I'm not even going to respond to this one other than to say that there's no "right way" to be mixed, and that you need to stop hating people who are different than you.
Anti-multiracialism is when our own parents hold our mixedness over us and tell us we aren't one of our ethnicities just because we don't do something they want us to.
You can't take away my heritage as a punishment. It's not a possession; it's a part of me. Will you also be confiscating my stomach because I didn't eat my broccoli?
Anti-multiracialism is when how you act determines who you are.
Have you ever made a huge effort to participate in one of your cultures to be seen as legitimate? I have.
Have you ever hyper-policed your behavior so people wouldn't tell you you aren't one of your ethnicities? I have.
Have you ever fit stereotypes on purpose so you'd be seen as what you are, even if doing so made you uncomfortable? I'm not proud of it, but... I have.
Anti-multiracialism is when we are fetishized for being racially ambiguous, "exotic looking," or having certain features.
Please just like my looks because you like my looks, not because you're exotifying them. Stop treating us like some kind of weird bird, and stop assuming that all mixed people are gonna have the features you think we're gonna have. There's a lot of us that don't. That applies no matter what the feature in question is, because multiracial people are very phenotypically diverse.
Anti-multiracialism is being told by others how to identify -- be it as one ethnicity, as both, or as neither -- but never being allowed to decide that for yourself.
Anti-multiracialism is being shut out of one of your ethnic communities because they hate your other ethnicity or race.
Anti-multiracialism is feeling alienated growing up because you didn't look like monoracial kids of one (or both) of your ethnicities.
I noticed that compared to the monoracial Asian kids at my school, I had thicker eyebrows, more body hair, bigger eyes, and my hair was more brown than black. Since I was the only one at my school I knew of who looked like me, I felt like a freak and began to hate my appearance. Although I no longer do, unlearning the idea that being multiracial made me ugly took a very long time.
Anti-multiracialism is when the same people who actively exclude us from our communities want to tell us about "mixed privilege."
Being white passing or light skinned is a separate axis that one would have privilege on, and neither or them equal white privilege. The ability to experience anti-multiracialism is not a privilege, nor is it a shield from the racism that we face as a part of our communities. You could be the most white passing person ever and still experience racism once people find out that you're your other ethnicity too.
White passing and being light-skinned are also neither exclusive nor inherent to mixed people. There are monoracial people who are white passing, there are monoracial people who are light skinned, and there are multiracial people who are neither. Additionally, there are multiracial people who are not mixed with white, many of whom are not white passing. The assumption that all mixed people are white passing (or have white privilege) blatantly ignores this. Enough with the excuses; you cannot exclude us from our communities and then say we're privileged for the very thing you're excluding us for.
Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list. There are more forms of anti-multiracialism, but if this list included all of them this article would be really unnecessarily long.
