Our mission is to promote a sense of belonging for multiracial/multiethnic (MM) students by creating an environment that addresses their unique experiences and needs. Students of "two or more races'' are part of the fastest growing racial demographic at universities across the nation. With MMSAND, we aspire to cultivate a community of understanding and learning for all members, regardless of their racial/ethnic identity (MMSAND is for everyone!). By pursuing this, we are creating space for previously unaccounted for demographics on campus AND “disrupting the ideology that race exists in strict monoracial-only categories… that can be ranked and ordered into a [hierarchy]” (Harris, 2020), which is otherwise known as the monoracial paradigm. With all of this, we believe that we can continue to be a trailblazer in better empowering, connecting, and uplifting ND’s underrepresented student populations.
As defined by Oxford Languages, an individual who is multiracial is "made up relating to people of several or many races" and an individual who is multiethnic is " relating to or constituting several ethnic groups."Â Â
Race is generally linked to biological physical characteristics (e.g. a person considered "black" would still be considered as such regardless of if they are from Ireland or the United States). On the other hand, ethnicity is linked cultural expression and identities (e.g. a Korean American is consists of two ethnicities: Korean and American).Â
Additionally, someone can be multiracial and not multiethnic (e.g. "Latino" is a single ethnicity, yet a Latino can be a multiracial), while someone else can be multiethnic and not multiracial (e.g. a descendant of Italian immigrants may only be one race: white, but has two ethnicities: Italian and American).
As Notre Dame has increased diversity and inclusivity efforts, there has been a growing number of students who represent identities that were not previously present on campus. In the Fall of 2021, MMSAND was founded by Jonathan Goodloe ('23), Matrika Franklin ('23), and Advisor MarĂa Olivera-Williams to supplement the already established cultural clubs on campus and account for traditionally overlooked identities at ND. Goodloe and Franklin understood that every individual is complex and unique and wanted to create a space where every student can belong and be understood as they truly are. In our increasingly diverse world, it is not enough to solely support of "diversity;" intentional efforts must also be put in place to increase inclusion, solidarity, and understanding across cultures.Â
Branding
The guiding principles of MMSAND.
4/5 of the members on the first official MMSAND officer board were female engineers!
A quick infographic about MMSAND.