Multitudes

A groundbreaking new portrait of Multiracial America—who gets counted, who gets seen, and who gets to belong. More than 34 million Americans identify as Multiracial, making them one of the fastest-growing populations in the country. Yet they remain among the least counted, least studied, and least understood—often forced into categories that fail to reflect who they are. In Multitudes, renowned public health expert Dr. Karabi Acharya draws on groundbreaking research, personal stories, and intimate interviews to reveal the profound consequences of this invisibility. She explores how being Multiracial shapes identity, health, relationships, and belonging—and how the systems we rely on, from census forms to medical research, continue to overlook millions of Americans. At once deeply personal and rigorously researched, Multitudes illuminates the resilience and creativity of people navigating a world that insists on putting them in boxes. It is both a mirror and a manifesto: a powerful argument for moving beyond rigid racial categories toward a more expansive understanding of identity, connection, and community. Urgent, illuminating, and ultimately hopeful, Multitudes is for anyone who has ever been asked “What are you?”—and for everyone who wants to understand a changing America and imagine a future in which everyone has the freedom to define where they belong.