Children of mixed marriages: a psychosocial study

Abstract

Because of globalization and increasing socio-political support, and due to the rise in economic migration, interracial relationships has become more socially accepted, resulting in the growing number of interracial children around the world. However, despite their rising demographic relevance, studies on the psychosocial well-being of biracial individuals remains largely scarce in scholarly literatures particularly in the Philippines. This study examined the effects of parental interracial union on the psychological status of their children and other factors that affect the self esteem and socialization behaviors of biracial children. A total of 68 individuals aged 13-25 years old, whose one parent is a Filipino and other parent is of foreign ethnicity and who are both alive, were asked to participate in the study. They were recruited purposively from several areas including in Metro Manila, Olongapo City, Zambales, and Laguna. The study utilized the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale to measure self-esteem levels, and a 15-itemed scale to measure levels of socialization and social relatedness. Overall, respondents reported average levels of self-esteem and socialization. The bivariate analysis showed that age and racial mixture were associated with level of self-esteem and socialization. In particular, significant differences surfaced between Filipino-Chinese and Filipino-Japanese respondents. Individuals aged 18 years old and above exhibited higher mean levels of self-esteem compared to younger respondents. Recommendations were made to improve socio-demographic policies on interracial children. Further research is also needed to gain deeper understanding of the situation of children in mixed marriages.