My publications mostly center on analyses of how contemporary racism operates. In primary research, I use qualitative methods including in-depth interviews, focus groups, vignettes, and short surveys and have conducted this research both in-person and online. I transcribe and code all my data and often use an inductive theoretical approach. In other work, I have assessed and analyzed a vast amount of interdisciplinary scholarship, which I then organized and synthesized into accessible and cohesive narratives. My writing is known for being both sophisticated and accessible to a wide range of audiences. I am the sole author of three books, co-editor with Milton Vickerman on another book, and have multiple pieces in academic journals and popular outlets.
For more information on my books and other scholarship, see below.
For more information on my books and other scholarship, see below.
The year 2000 was the first time the US Census permitted respondents to choose more than one race. Although the US has long recognized that a “mixed-race” population exists, the contemporary “multiracial population” presents different questions and implications for today’s diverse society.
This book is the first overview to bring a systematic critical race lens to the scholarship on mixedness. Avoiding the common pitfall of conflating “mixed” with “multiracial,” the book reveals how identity forms and fluctuates such that people with mixed heritage may identify as mixed, monoracial, and/or multiracial throughout their lives. It analyzes the dynamic and various manifestations of mixedness, including at the global level, to reveal its complex impact on both the structural and individual levels. Multiracial critically examines topics such as family dynamics and racial socialization, multiraciality in media and popular culture, and intersections of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. Integrating diverse theories, qualitative research, and national-level data, this accessible and engaging book is essential for students of race and those looking to understand the new field of multiraciality.
See more at Polity Books.
“Multiracial tackles the momentous field of mixedness studies in a highly engaging and accessible manner. strmic-pawl provides critical reflection on what studies have shaped our understandings of how mixed-race is defined, whose experiences are highlighted, and the role of social institutions such as family and media. It is an important read for race scholars, as well as anyone interested in issues of mixedness and multiracialism.”
Erica Chito Childs, Hunter College, CUNY Graduate Center
“strmic-pawl not only offers a comprehensive overview of the growing literature on multiracial people, she delivers an indisputable critique of the purported celebration of multiracialism by elucidating how anti-Blackness and White dominance prevail in insidious ways. She engages with important questions about what factors impact racial identity, how institutions shape understandings of multiracial people, and what these patterns indicate about the future of multiracial people. An outstanding contribution to the literature.”
Chandra D. L. Waring, University of Massachusetts–Lowell
This book is the first overview to bring a systematic critical race lens to the scholarship on mixedness. Avoiding the common pitfall of conflating “mixed” with “multiracial,” the book reveals how identity forms and fluctuates such that people with mixed heritage may identify as mixed, monoracial, and/or multiracial throughout their lives. It analyzes the dynamic and various manifestations of mixedness, including at the global level, to reveal its complex impact on both the structural and individual levels. Multiracial critically examines topics such as family dynamics and racial socialization, multiraciality in media and popular culture, and intersections of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. Integrating diverse theories, qualitative research, and national-level data, this accessible and engaging book is essential for students of race and those looking to understand the new field of multiraciality.
See more at Polity Books.
“Multiracial tackles the momentous field of mixedness studies in a highly engaging and accessible manner. strmic-pawl provides critical reflection on what studies have shaped our understandings of how mixed-race is defined, whose experiences are highlighted, and the role of social institutions such as family and media. It is an important read for race scholars, as well as anyone interested in issues of mixedness and multiracialism.”
Erica Chito Childs, Hunter College, CUNY Graduate Center
“strmic-pawl not only offers a comprehensive overview of the growing literature on multiracial people, she delivers an indisputable critique of the purported celebration of multiracialism by elucidating how anti-Blackness and White dominance prevail in insidious ways. She engages with important questions about what factors impact racial identity, how institutions shape understandings of multiracial people, and what these patterns indicate about the future of multiracial people. An outstanding contribution to the literature.”
Chandra D. L. Waring, University of Massachusetts–Lowell
Understanding Racism systematically examines the theories and theorists that have contributed the most to our contemporary understanding of racism in its various forms—making it easier for students to understand the multiple dynamics of how racism operates. In every chapter, activist and award-winning sociologist Hephzibah Strmic-Pawl describes the emergence of a theory and the problem it addresses; discusses the scholars who are most closely associated with the theory; and explores the strengths and limitations of the theory. From foundational theories such as Prejudice and White Privilege to contemporary theories such as Color-Blind Racism, Understanding Racism is the first text to present thirteen approaches for explaining racism in one book. The book's systematic organization and pedagogical features will help students think theoretically about race and racism at different levels of analysis, as well as reflect and discuss how to challenge racism.
See more at SAGE.
See more at SAGE.
Now Available in Paperback!
Multiracialism and Its Discontents addresses the contemporary complexities of race, racial identity, and the persistence of racism. Multiracialism is often heralded as a breakthrough in racial reconciliation; some even go so far as to posit that the U.S. will become so racially mixed that racism will diminish. However, this comparative analysis of multiracials who identify as part-Asian and part-White and those who identify as part-Black and part-White indicates vastly different experiences of what it means to be multiracial. The book also attends to a nuanced understanding of how racism and inequality operate when an intersectional approach of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation is taken into account. It takes a focused look at how multiracialism is shaped by racism, but ultimately reveals a broader statement about race in the U.S. today: that there is no post-racial state and any identity or movement that attempts to address racial inequality must contend with that reality.
See more at Lexington Books.
Strmic-Pawl’s book makes a novel and substantive contribution to the literature on multiracialism.... Strmic-Pawl’s scholarly and wide-ranging study provides a particularly robust and incisive analysis of these matters. In a carefully considered and evidence- based set of conclusions, she exposes the falsity of a post-racial America and the idea that multiracialism dismantles the racial hierarchy.
— Ethnic and Racial Studies
The mixed-race population in the United States stands around seven percent. This multiracial category is growing three times faster than the general population. One in seven newlyweds are interracial. Yet, the multiracial category is understudied. Addressing this blind spot is hephzibah strmic-pawl's needed and outstanding comparative study that focuses on how this increasingly acknowledged category can affect race relations and the situational and positional identity options used by those who self-identify as being from more than one race.
— Charles A. Gallagher, La Salle University
In Multiracialism and Its Discontents: A Comparative Analysis of Asian-White and Black-White Multiracials, Hephzibah V. Strmic-Pawl breaks new ground in critical race and multiracial scholarship. She provides empirical evidence of both the reality of multiracialism and the diversity of multiracial experiences in the U.S. In doing so, she shows how multiracialism challenges and reconfigures but does not dismantle the racial hierarchy. This book is an immensely valuable read for anyone interested in better understanding multiracialisms, racialization, and the persistence of racism in the United States today.
— Kathleen Odell Korgen, William Paterson University
Multiracialism and Its Discontents addresses the contemporary complexities of race, racial identity, and the persistence of racism. Multiracialism is often heralded as a breakthrough in racial reconciliation; some even go so far as to posit that the U.S. will become so racially mixed that racism will diminish. However, this comparative analysis of multiracials who identify as part-Asian and part-White and those who identify as part-Black and part-White indicates vastly different experiences of what it means to be multiracial. The book also attends to a nuanced understanding of how racism and inequality operate when an intersectional approach of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation is taken into account. It takes a focused look at how multiracialism is shaped by racism, but ultimately reveals a broader statement about race in the U.S. today: that there is no post-racial state and any identity or movement that attempts to address racial inequality must contend with that reality.
See more at Lexington Books.
Strmic-Pawl’s book makes a novel and substantive contribution to the literature on multiracialism.... Strmic-Pawl’s scholarly and wide-ranging study provides a particularly robust and incisive analysis of these matters. In a carefully considered and evidence- based set of conclusions, she exposes the falsity of a post-racial America and the idea that multiracialism dismantles the racial hierarchy.
— Ethnic and Racial Studies
The mixed-race population in the United States stands around seven percent. This multiracial category is growing three times faster than the general population. One in seven newlyweds are interracial. Yet, the multiracial category is understudied. Addressing this blind spot is hephzibah strmic-pawl's needed and outstanding comparative study that focuses on how this increasingly acknowledged category can affect race relations and the situational and positional identity options used by those who self-identify as being from more than one race.
— Charles A. Gallagher, La Salle University
In Multiracialism and Its Discontents: A Comparative Analysis of Asian-White and Black-White Multiracials, Hephzibah V. Strmic-Pawl breaks new ground in critical race and multiracial scholarship. She provides empirical evidence of both the reality of multiracialism and the diversity of multiracial experiences in the U.S. In doing so, she shows how multiracialism challenges and reconfigures but does not dismantle the racial hierarchy. This book is an immensely valuable read for anyone interested in better understanding multiracialisms, racialization, and the persistence of racism in the United States today.
— Kathleen Odell Korgen, William Paterson University
Second Edition Now Available for Course Adoption!
Looking for the teaching resources that go with this book? Click here
Co-Edited with Milton Vickerman, University of Virginia.
Race and Ethnicity: Constancy in Change provides students with a collection of readings that set a foundation for understanding race and that address contemporary racism. The nine sections of the anthology address the history of White colonization, the social construction of race, immigration, theories on racism, contemporary inequality and systems of oppression, popular culture, and close with thoughts on fighting racial discrimination.
The anthology leverages strategic pedagogical features to enhance the learning and reading experience. At the beginning of the book, a timeline that denotes major points in U.S. racial history and a list of key terms provide useful references that readers can return to throughout the book. Each section includes an introduction and “As You Read” points to guide the reader, and each reading begins with “Reflect and Consider” points that highlight key takeaways.
The second edition includes new readings that cover more in-depth history, multiple areas of social inequality, updated analysis of popular culture outlets, and more.
Race and Ethnicity is an ideal resource for courses and programs in sociology, especially those that emphasize contemporary issues related to race.
See more at Cognella.
Race and Ethnicity: Constancy in Change provides students with a collection of readings that set a foundation for understanding race and that address contemporary racism. The nine sections of the anthology address the history of White colonization, the social construction of race, immigration, theories on racism, contemporary inequality and systems of oppression, popular culture, and close with thoughts on fighting racial discrimination.
The anthology leverages strategic pedagogical features to enhance the learning and reading experience. At the beginning of the book, a timeline that denotes major points in U.S. racial history and a list of key terms provide useful references that readers can return to throughout the book. Each section includes an introduction and “As You Read” points to guide the reader, and each reading begins with “Reflect and Consider” points that highlight key takeaways.
The second edition includes new readings that cover more in-depth history, multiple areas of social inequality, updated analysis of popular culture outlets, and more.
Race and Ethnicity is an ideal resource for courses and programs in sociology, especially those that emphasize contemporary issues related to race.
See more at Cognella.
Other selected publications:
*for a full list of publications please see my CV under "Learn More"
strmic-pawl, hephzibah, Vanessa Gonlin, and Steve Garner. 2021. “Color in Context: Three Angles on Contemporary Colorism.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 7(3):289-303.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah, Brandon A. Jackson, and Steve Garner. 2018. Race Counts: Racial and Ethnic Data on the U.S. Census and the Implications for Tracking Inequality." Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 4(1): 1-13.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah and Rai Wilson [student]. 2016. “‘Equal Opportunity Racism?’ A Review of Cards Against Humanity.” Humanity and Society 40(2): 1-4.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah. 2015. "More Than a Knapsack: The White Supremacy Flower as a New Model for Teaching Racism." Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 1(1): 192-197.
strmic-pawl, hephzibahh. 2014. “The Influences Affecting and the Influential Effects of Multiracials: Multiracialism and Stratification.” Sociology Compass. 8(1): 63-77.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah. & Phyllis Leffler. 2011. “Black Families and Fostering of Leadership.” Ethnicities. 11(2): 139-162.
Strmic Pawl.Ethnicities.pdf
*for a full list of publications please see my CV under "Learn More"
strmic-pawl, hephzibah, Vanessa Gonlin, and Steve Garner. 2021. “Color in Context: Three Angles on Contemporary Colorism.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 7(3):289-303.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah, Brandon A. Jackson, and Steve Garner. 2018. Race Counts: Racial and Ethnic Data on the U.S. Census and the Implications for Tracking Inequality." Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 4(1): 1-13.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah and Rai Wilson [student]. 2016. “‘Equal Opportunity Racism?’ A Review of Cards Against Humanity.” Humanity and Society 40(2): 1-4.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah. 2015. "More Than a Knapsack: The White Supremacy Flower as a New Model for Teaching Racism." Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 1(1): 192-197.
- This article has instructors as the target audience. Another version of this article is available for students as the target audience and is a chapter in my co-edited volume, Race and Ethnicity: Constancy in Change. The White Supremacy Flower: A Model for Understanding Racism
strmic-pawl, hephzibahh. 2014. “The Influences Affecting and the Influential Effects of Multiracials: Multiracialism and Stratification.” Sociology Compass. 8(1): 63-77.
strmic-pawl, hephzibah. & Phyllis Leffler. 2011. “Black Families and Fostering of Leadership.” Ethnicities. 11(2): 139-162.
Strmic Pawl.Ethnicities.pdf