Isaiah Johnson, Ph.D. Candidate

How do Multiracial individuals navigate the complex interplay of racial identity and material incentives in political decision-making? This study investigates this question by examining the strategic behavior of Black-White Biracials in contexts where racial identity, disclosure, and salience intersect, with a particular focus on support for reparations. Utilizing a novel Theory of Strategic Multiracial Alignment the findings reveal that Multiracial individuals often adjust their political behavior based on the contextual and material cues they encounter. The study provides strong evidence that racial primes, especially those emphasizing Black ancestry, significantly increase support for reparations. Additionally, the interaction between racial primes and racial context further shapes political alignment. However, the impact of identity disclosure yields mixed results, indicating that while Multiracials may strategically align with social cues and racial contexts, their responses vary across different scenarios. These insights enhance our understanding of Multiracial political behavior, highlighting the complex and nuanced ways in which identity and context influence political decisions.