This qualitative inquiry explored the Multiracial woman's experience of "not belonging" to any single ethnic group and the consequences for self-identity formation. Interview data were collected from self-identified Multiracial women, at least 18 years of age, who participated in semistructured interviews. Subjects were solicited through snowballing recruitment and searches at universities and websites geared toward Multiracial individuals.

The data were analyzed and grouped into themes according to phenomenological methods, with the goal of identifying common themes among women of Multiracial backgrounds in regard to their experiences around identity formation. The salient themes were (a) Phenotype, (b) Childhood Experiences, (c) Geographical Impact, (d) Sexuality and Self-Esteem, (e) Belonging, and (f) Identity Fluidity. These themes were found to be present in either the majority or all of the narratives, and were therefore likely indicative of a larger collective experience.

The limitations of this study were related to researcher bias and to the geographic and socioeconomic homogeneity of the sample. The sample was also skewed with higher levels of education as well as a strong representation of at least partial Asian ethnicity. Further research could attend to these limitations and build upon the results of this study.