German photographer Martin Schoeller, one of the world's most famous portraitists, asked himself how America's new people, those who cannot clearly identify with any one race, identify themselves.
What are they like, the people of the future?
Modern America has become one of those places on Earth where dozens, perhaps hundreds, of nationalities are melting pots. The number of people of mixed race is growing year after year. In 2000, when the U.S. Census Bureau allowed people to select multiple races, 6.8 million people identified themselves as mixed race. A decade later, that group had increased by 32 percent.
The boundaries are erased with each new generation, society is becoming more and more tolerant, and the old frameworks are too narrow for the new reality. Perhaps, after some time, humanity will no longer divide people into black, white and yellow, and the Earth will be inhabited by new people who will not judge a person by his genetic origin.
What are they like, the people of the future? 1. Mackenzie McPherson, 9, with parents Alison, 36, and Lawrence McPherson, 40, Houston, Texas. Self-identification: Mulatto, mixed ancestry. Census response: White/Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 2. Julie Weiss, 33, Hollywood, California. Self-identification: Filipina, Chinese, Spanish, Indian, Hungarian, German Jewish. Census response: White/Asian/Indian/Chinese/Filipina.What are they like, the people of the future? 3. Maximilian Sugiura, 29, Brooklyn, New York. Self-identification: Japanese, Jewish, Ukrainian. Census response: White/Japanese.What are they like, the people of the future? 4. Imani Cornelius, 13, Shakopee, Minnesota. Self-identifies as black and white. Census response: black. Imani needs a bone marrow transplant, but because of a shortage of African-American and biracial donors, she has been forced to wait two years for a donor of similar descent.What are they like, the people of the future? 5. Adrian Adrid, 24, Haleiwa, Hawaii. Self-identification: White. Census response: White/Filipino.What are they like, the people of the future? 6. Celeste Seda, 26, Brooklyn, New York. Self-identifies as Dominican and Korean. Census response: Asian/other race.What are they like, the people of the future? 7. Jordan Spencer, 18, Grand Prairie, Texas. Self-identification: Black, biracial. Census response: Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 8. Tayden Burrell, 5, Sarasota, Florida. Self-identification: Black and white, biracial. Census response: White/Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 9. Yoel Shak Bautista, 7, Castaic, California. Self-identification: Black, Mexican, "Afro-Xicano." Census response: Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 10. Jakara Hubbard, 28, Monee, Illinois. Listed as white and African American. Self-identified as of indeterminate race.What are they like, the people of the future? 11. Tevan Jones, 22, Grants Pass, Oregon. Listed as African American and white. Considers himself triracial, jokingly calling himself "Trinidad."What are they like, the people of the future? 12. Temba Alleyne, 30, Los Angeles, California. He lists himself as black, white, Native American, Asian, Hawaiian, and Islander. He considers himself multicultural. "I check every nuance," he says.What are they like, the people of the future? 13. Yuda Holman, 29, Los Angeles, California. Self-identification: Half Thai, half black. Census response: Asian.What are they like, the people of the future? 34. Helen Robertson, 54, Los Angeles, California. Listed as white and Asian. Considers herself English.What are they like, the people of the future? 15. Alexander Sugiura, 27, Brooklyn, New York. Mixed ethnicity. Japanese according to the census. Considers himself Jewish and American.What are they like, the people of the future? 16. Ariel Toole, 14, Chicago, Illinois. Self-identification: Mixed race, multiracial. Census response: White/Black/Vietnamese.What are they like, the people of the future? 17. Gabriella Guizzo, 5, Rockville Centre, N.Y. Listed as white and Japanese. Considers herself a "mix of all people."What are they like, the people of the future? 18. Harold Fish, 23, Austin, Texas. Genetic ancestry not listed on census. Self-identifies as Puerto Rican, Texan, Jewish, and European.What are they like, the people of the future? 19. Daisy Fenkel, 3, San Antonio, Texas. Parents' self-identification: Korean and Hispanic. Not reported in 2010 census.What are they like, the people of the future? 20. Jessie Lee, 32, New York. Listed as Chinese. Is half Chinese, a quarter French, and a quarter Swedish.What are they like, the people of the future? 21. Joshua Asoak, 34, Anchorage, Alaska. Self-identification: Jewish and Inuit Eskimo, "Jeweskimo." Census response: Alaska Native.What are they like, the people of the future? 22. Jacob Benavente, 5, Torrance, Calif. Listed as Hawaiian, Asian, and Islander. Self-identifies as American.What are they like, the people of the future? 23. Kelly Williams II, 17, Dallas, Texas. Self-identification: African American, German, multiracial. Census response: Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 24. Christopher Braxton, 33, Brooklyn, New York. Listed as African American and Korean. Self-identifies as black and Asian.What are they like, the people of the future? 25. Cameron Benjamin, 22, Los Angeles, California. Self-identification: Hawaiian, Chinese, and Caucasian. Census response: White/Chinese/Native Hawaiian.What are they like, the people of the future? 26. Lula Newman, 7, New York City. Listed as white, Chinese, and Asian. Self-identifies as Welsh, Polish, German, Indonesian, and Chinese.What are they like, the people of the future? 27. Maya Joey Smith, 9, Cary, Illinois. Self-identification: Black, Asian, Korean, and African American. Census response: Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 28. Maryam Nayeri, 33, Brooklyn, New York. Self-identification: Mexican and of Saudi Arabian descent. Census response: Race unspecified.What are they like, the people of the future? 29. Mars Wright, 25, Austin, Texas. Listed as African American and Filipino. Self-identifies as black and Filipino.What are they like, the people of the future? 30. Hosanna Marshall, 32, New York. Listed as African American. Considers herself a mix of black, Native American, white and Jewish.What are they like, the people of the future? 31. Sandra Williams, 46, Chicago, Illinois. Self-identification: Biracial, "human." Census response: Black.What are they like, the people of the future? 32. Solomon Xiang, 29, San Francisco, California. Listed as white and Chinese. Self-identifies as Chinese and Jewish.What are they like, the people of the future? 33. Una Walley, 25, Brooklyn, New York. Listed as white and Chinese. Self-identifies as Jewish and Chinese.