How children of inter-ethnic couples navigate inter-cultural tensions: A scoping review of qualitative studies

Research into inter-ethnic families predominantly privileges the voices of inter-ethnic couples or parents. In this paper, I extend this discussion by considering the voices of children of inter-ethnic couples, who are also important constituents in the making of inter-ethnic families. This article offers a scoping review to explore, identify, and map the scholarly literature about children of inter-ethnic couples (1995–2022) documenting the experiences of children of inter-ethnic couples in navigating inter-cultural tensions in their everyday lives. From four main scholarly databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus), I identified 670 articles which I further screened and assessed. My assessment resulted in 57 articles that focused on the voices of the children. Finally, I worked with 15 qualitative studies that are relevant in addressing my research question: What does the existing research literature report about the experiences of children of inter-ethnic couples in navigating inter-ethnic tensions? My analysis shows that participants navigate points of tensions using various tactics, including cognitive tactics, but also through everyday spatial, relational, and cultural practices. Additionally, I also found that in terms of the scope, most research in this area has been conducted within the context of the countries of the Global North, which provides insight into the need for more research and perspectives from the Global South. I also provide methodological reflections on the search processes and discuss the limitations of this study.