Miscegenation – the interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types (noun)

Source : http://www.dictionary.com/browse/miscegenation

From Quicksand pg 108

“Into this Helga would not enter. Because of its obvious partial truths she felt the need for disusing caution. With a detachment that amazed herself she asked if Aunt Katrina didn’t think, really, that miscegenation was wrong, in fact a principle.

In this part of the novel, Helga questions her aunts beliefs about biracial marriages and if it’s wrong or right. Helga wants to know how other people would react about biracial couples since shes biracial herself. She is having a hard time being accepted by her race.