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TINA MARIA HARRIS: The Biracial Identify Development Modelis different from other models in that it recognizesthat an individual is coming from twoor maybe even three or more different racial ethnicbackgrounds.What I really like about this modelis that it allows an individual to determine who they are.They have choice, whereas other models pretty much relegate

TINA MARIA HARRIS [continued]: a person to one or the other group.A person who only identifies as being biracialis afforded the opportunity to recognizethat they are a product of a union, whether it was marriageor whatever, from two people who arefrom two different racial backgrounds.So this person does not necessarilyhave to choose to be one or-- they

TINA MARIA HARRIS [continued]: don't have to choose between identifyingwith one or the other group.They can celebrate who they are.And something that I think is really importantis for us to recognize that individualsshould be referred to as biracial.I'm not biracial.I don't have any children, so I can'tspeak to the overall significance of this term.

TINA MARIA HARRIS [continued]: But for me-- and I don't want to sayit's being politically correct-- Ithink it's just being respectful of someone's heritage.And so some people might say, oh, they're mixed.Well, to me, mixed has a connotation of being confused.A biracial person, if they are confused,it's probably because of other social factorsthat are telling them that they don't

TINA MARIA HARRIS [continued]: belong to one group or the other.They just don't fit anywhere.And so I think that it's important for usto use language that affirms the individual.And by recognizing that an individual isbiracial or multiracial, we're celebrating who they areand where they come from.And the model-- as the others, I believe--help that individual come to a placewhere they're comfortable with who they are and are not giving

TINA MARIA HARRIS [continued]: into societal pressure to identify with one group.They can identify with both.Or if they choose to identify with one group over another--because maybe their physical characteristics arereflective of a certain race or a race that's representativeof their parent-- then that's their choice.

TINA MARIA HARRIS [continued]: We should not tell them who they are.So I think that the Biracial Identity DevelopmentModel is an excellent way to essentially liberatepeople who are biracial and to give voiceto their experiences that otherwisewould be forced upon them.So I think that it's important for themto have that right to choose to be identified theyway they want to.