mélange

acceptable term for those who self-identify this way. Speaking of the mélange nation (those with "racially" diverse heritages), Jaimie Markham writes (in Colors), "We name ourselves mélange to proclaim pride in our diverse origins and to be strong in a society that makes us an embodiment of its conflicted racial relations. ... We are proud of our racial heritage, and we insist on respect for all our heritage cultures. We refuse to be forced to choose between one or the other. Our pride in both is a vitally important means for us as mélange people to deal with a racist social structure. Selecting one group over the other would require us to hate the white mother or the Filipino grandmother, the black father or the white great-grandfather." See also biracial, multiracial.