For some, racial identity can be fluid % ofadults with a multiracial background who said they are two or more races and as one race % ofadults with a multiracial background who said they are only one race and
In a 2015 study that used a broader definition of the term – one that took into account how adults described their own race as well as the racial background of their parents and grandparents – Pew Research Center estimated that 6.9% of the U.S. adult population could be considered multiracial. The 2015 study also explored the attitudes and experiences of these adults, revealing the complexities of multiracial identity. Here are five key findings from that report:
Racial identity can change over the course of one’s life. While 69% of Americans who reported more than one race for themselves in the 2015 survey said they always thought of themselves as two or more races, about three-in-ten (29%) said there was a time when they thought of themselves as only one race. Similarly, among adults who selected only one race for themselves but had a multiracial family background, 29% said they once thought of themselves as being two or more races.
For some, racial identity can be fluid  | % ofadults with a multiracial background who said they  | are two or more races and  | Previously  | Always thought of  | thought of  | themselves as two  | themselves  | or more races  | as one race  | 69%  | 29%  | % ofadults with a multiracial background who said they  | are only one race and  | Previously  | Always thought of  | thought of  | themselves as  | themselves  | one race  | as two or  | more races  | 29%  | 70%  | Note: Share of respondents who didn't offer an answer shown but  | not labeled. Multiracial adults include those who ware two or more  | races based on background of self, parents for grandparents.  | Source: Survey of U.S. multiracial adults conducted Feb. 6-April 6,  | 2015.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 