Biracial Social Networks: Gender Differences in Social Preferences of Racially Ambiguous Biracial Latinx/White Individuals

Abstract

This thesis proposes an experimental design aimed to investigate the social inclinations of male and female biracial Latinx/White individuals who appear racially ambiguous. Most research has focused on how others view these individuals, but I intend to shift the gaze into the opposite perspective and observe how these individuals want to be perceived via social interactions and associations, particularly considering corresponding beauty stereotypes. In the experiment, participants are racially ambiguous Latinx/White college students and will be tasked to choose between either a White face or Latinx face (both of the same sex) in a series of vignettes describing social scenarios. Then they will give the names and demographic information of their three closest friends on campus. I predict the results to confirm a gender difference in social preferences of biracial Latinx/White individuals who appear racially ambiguous, in which females will actively choose White faces more often than Latinx faces for interaction and will report more White friends than Latinx, whereas males will not present any racial preference. These implications can provide direction for research regarding gendered perspectives of racially ambiguous individuals as well as the dynamics of interracial relations.