Sophomore Lilia “Lili” Arroyo was nine when she noticed her ISTEP+ booklet listed her as Hispanic.

She said she came home that day and asked her mother, who is American, “Why is only Daddy’s race listed on there?”

Lili and her sister, senior Gabriela “Gabby” Arroyo, are part of a growing number of multiracial families in America. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, nearly seven million Americans described themselves as multiracial, and from 1970 to 1995, the number of mixed race families quadrupled.

Fran Simmons, a marriage and family counselor at Family Counseling Associates, an organization who offers counseling for families, said many multiracial families embrace the quality of acceptance when it comes to foreign cultures.

“Because they themselves are different, they accept differences of other cultures as well,” Simmons said.

Junior Jacob “Jake” Kittaka, born to an American mother and a Japanese father, said his parents have proven to be more understanding of others because of their scenario.

“I’ve noticed they (my parents) can be more tolerant because a person has to be in order to marry someone of a different culture,” Kittaka said.

A recent article from Forbes.com stated that parents of mixed race children are often inspired to demonstrate the beauty within all races. They tend to teach their children about diversity and model appropriate behavior on how to treat those

who are different. Kittaka said outside of his home, people are not so open-minded.

“In a community, others may not be so tolerant,” he said. “They may be more prejudiced. And in response to a multiracial family, they may not be inclined to be as polite or accepting.”

As someone balancing two customs, two heritages and two nationalities, Gabby said she tries to be especially more careful to evade racial stereotyping than individuals who are not biracial.

“I think it’s true that we’re more tolerant, especially when it comes to people basing their perspective of other cultures on stereotypes,” Gabby said. “At times, these stereotypes can be offensive.”

Jorge Arroyo, the father of Gabby and Lili, said, “We are forced to deal with differences in our family, which makes us more aware of and sensitive to differences in other people. Because of this, we can celebrate those differences and embrace them.”

A key disadvantage of an interracial family becomes evident when parenting styles clash, Lili said.

“My parents disagree on some things, like how they feel about punishments. My dad will tell me to do one thing and my mom will tell me to do another. It’s just the way they were raised,” she said.

Simmons said balancing the two parenting styles can prove to be a challenge, especially when the two races are geographically far from each other.

“Western styles tend to clash with Eastern styles. The forms of punishment, the expectations for education, everything,” she said.

Although he tries to allow equal influence from his two birthrights, Kittaka said he is more American simply because he lives here.

“I was born here,” Kittaka said. “I was born right here in Carmel. I was raised in a public school environment. I was given more of an American upbringing. In my opinion, environment has a lot of impact for how a child grows up.”

Lili said she agrees that location is essential in terms of influence.

“There are some aspects of Puerto Rican custom that just don’t apply here,” she said. “So, to a certain point, I am a little more American because that’s where I live.”

According to Simmons, children can often favor one culture to the other when he or she lives in that culture’s area.

“It’s bound to happen. A child who is half Chinese and half American, for example, who lives in Texas, will inevitably grow up knowing more about American food and customs,” she said.

For Gabby, learning about her Hispanic heritage can prove to be a challenge when she lives so far away from her father’s homeland. For the most part, mixed race children at Carmel try to embrace culture in the best way they know how: by visiting family.

Kittaka said, “When I’m visiting my grandma, I can see the influences of Japanese culture. Whenever my family gathers together, we celebrate our culture and try a lot of Asian foods.”

During those family reunions, Kittaka said he has learned to understand his roots through relatives who share stories of their youth.

“My grandma was a first generation American and at a young age, she was in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. They had to pack everything and move 1,000 miles to Arkansas,” he said. “She remembers the wire fences. She remembers how the fences had guns that were pointing in toward the camp.”

After reflecting on the effect his grandmother has had on him throughout his life, Kittaka said, “Considering the struggles my grandmother faced has allowed me to not only appreciate what I have, but also gain a sense of who I am.”

Susan Arroyo, the mother of Gabby and Lili, said, “We celebrate the holidays from both cultures and when we travel to Puerto Rico, we try to immerse the kids in the culture and see as much of the island as possible.”

Overall, Lili said she feels a sense of pride to be a combination of two heritages and nationalities and has worked to balance the traditions and customs of both her races.

“My parents mixed them well,” she said. “I don’t feel like I’m half of one race and half of another. When you combine both, it’s my culture.”