ANNAMARIA CSIZMADIA University of Connecticut ALETHEA ROLLINS University of Central Missouri ∗ JESSICA P. KANEAKUA University of Connecticut ∗∗ Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Its Correlates in Families of Black–White Biracial Children Child, family, and contextual correlates of ethnic-racial socialization among U.S. families of 293 kindergarten-age Black–White biracial children were investigated in this study. Children with one White-identified and one Black- identified biological parent who were enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Kindergarten Cohort participated in this study. Parents’ racial identification of children, parent age, family socioeconomic status, urbanicity, and region of country predicted the likelihood of frequent ethnic-racial socialization. Relative to their biracially and Black-identified peers, White-identified biracial children were less likely to have frequent discussions about ethnic- racial heritage. Findings suggest that ethnic- racial socialization is a prevalent parenting practice in families of young biracial children and that its frequency varies depending on child, family, and situational factors. Implications for practice are discussed. Families, especially those of color, engage in ethnic-racial socialization. Parents impart messages and foster behaviors that relate to Human Development & Family Studies, One Univer- sity Place, Stamford, CT 06901 (annamaria.csizmadia@ uconn.edu). ∗ 2427 SW 11th Terrace, Lees Summit, MO 64081. ∗∗ 348 Mansfield Rd., Storrs, CT 06269. Key Words: ethnic-racial socialization, middle childhood, multiracial, parenting, racial identity. children’s racial group membership, identity, and relations with in- and out-group members (Thornton, Chatters, Taylor, & Allen, 1990). Research has largely examined monoracial families; hence, multiracial children’s ethnic- racial socialization is less well understood. First-generation Black–White biracial children (i.e., youth who have one Black-identified and one White-identified biological parent; Daniel, 2002) are of particular interest given that they occupy a unique position in the U.S. racial hierarchy. They belong to two racial groups that have historically been at a great social distance (Rockquemore, Brunsma, & Delgado, 2009) and that view them very differently. Some Whites see multiracial people as harbingers of a postracial era; some Blacks believe that focus on multiraciality compromises Black progress by deemphasizing race (Thornton, 2009). Also, some consider multiracial youth less sociable and less deserving of minority benefits relative to their minority peers (Sanchez & Bonam, 2009). These social challenges may increase biracial children’s vulnerability. Ethnic-racial socialization can promote ethnic-racial identity formation (e.g., Hughes et al., 2006; McHale et al., 2006), mitigate the negative effects of discrimination (e.g., Neblett, Terzian, & Harriott, 2010; Neblett et al., 2008), and enhance social-emotional and cognitive out- comes (e.g., Brittian, Uma˜ na-Taylor, & Derlan, 2013; Caughy, Nettles, & Lima, 2011; Hughes et al., 2006; McHale et al., 2006; Neblett, Rivas- Drake, & Uma˜ na-Taylor, 2012; Neblett et al., Family Relations 63 (April 2014): 259–270 259 DOI:10.1111/fare.12062