A Match for the Mixed
Mixed-race Americans, while growing in number, are still a largely misunderstood and often forgotten segment of our population. Mavin, a new quarterly magazine by and for mixed-race adults, is a sign that someone is paying attention.
“Society defines us largely by our outward appearances,” says 20-year-old publisher and editor in chief Matthew Kelley. A Seattle resident of Korean-Caucasian descent, he should know.
Kelley estimates that the number of multiracial Americans falls somewhere between 2 million and 5 million. He says mixed-race births are increasing 2,500% faster than mono-racial births in the United States, and that in Los Angeles County, more than 50% of the members of some Asian groups marry interracially.
He hopes Mavin will give a voice to mixed-race and transracial adoptees (children adopted by parents of a different ethnic background than their own). “We want the right to identify ourselves.”
Named after the Hebrew term for “one who speaks our experience,” Mavin is founded on the belief that multiracial people face problems unlike any other ethnic group. The magazine’s debut issue, due out this month, will cover a range of topics in various formats, including news stories on South Africa’s prohibition of mixed-race marriages and colleges that include multiracial categories on application forms. The magazine also showcases fashion as well as art, fiction and poetry by newcomers. And it incorporates elements of hip-hop culture because of its significance among the target age group, 18- to 35-year-olds.
Although Kelley recognizes that Mavin can’t be everything to everybody, as the publication grows, he hopes to refocus the content increasingly on political issues.
Despite having no major publishing house affiliation or corporate sponsorship, Kelley, who is taking a one-year leave of absence from Wesleyan University to launch the publication, remains optimistic.
“Response from advertisers and subscribers has been overwhelming,” he says. Funding for Mavin’s premier issue came from subscribers and Seattle businesses.
Mavin will be available on Los Angeles newsstands and by subscription. For information, visit Mavin’s Web site at https://www.mavin.net or e-mail mavin@aa.net.