In 1992, Dr. Maria P. P. Root wrote the Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage, a groundbreaking document empowering individuals of mixed heritage to assert their identities, whatever they might be. In the United States, people who appear ethnically ambiguous have often been rendered invisible or pressured to “choose a side” based on their appearance. Despite being published decades ago, this document remains relevant and vital, deserving continued recognition, acknowledgment, and widespread sharing.

Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage 

I HAVE THE RIGHT…

Not to justify my existence in this world.

Not to keep the races separate within me.

Not to justify my ethnic legitimacy.

Not to be responsible for people’s discomfort

with my physical or ethnic ambiguity.

I HAVE THE RIGHT…

To identify myself differently than strangers expect me to identify.

To identify myself differently than how my parents identify me.

To identify myself differently than my brothers and sisters.

To identify myself differently in different situations.

I HAVE THE RIGHT…

To create a vocabulary to communicate about

being multiracial or multiethnic.

To change my identity over my lifetime–and more than once.

To have loyalties and identification with

more than one group of people.

To freely choose whom I befriend and love.

About the Author of the Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage

Dr. Maria P. P. Root, Ph.D., was born on September 13, 1955. She is a clinical psychologist, educator, and public speaker based in Seattle, Washington. Her work encompasses multiracial families, multiracial identity, cultural competence, trauma, workplace harassment, and disordered eating. An international authority on mixed heritage identity, Dr. Root is credited with publishing the first contemporary work on mixed-race people. She has presented lectures and conducted training in various countries, both within and outside of academia.

Dr. Root is a former President of the Washington State Psychological Association. She has also served as Chair of the APA Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest and as a member-at-large on the Board of APA Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues). Currently, she maintains a private practice. Additionally, she has served on the advisory council of The Association of Multiethnic Americans and the board of advisors of The Mavin Foundation. In 2011, she co-founded the Journal of Critical Mixed Race Studies.