Interracial Relationships | Teen Ink

Interracial Relationships

March 25, 2012
By Anonymous

Have you ever been walking down street and seen a couple of two different races? Or even seen a child that looks like they're not just one race? Interracial relationships are spreading more and more every day. In 2010, there were a total of 390,000 couples that consisted of a black husband and a white wife and a total of 488,000 couples consisted of a white wife and a husband of a race other than black, Asian and white. Is this right? Is it okay to be completely racist and against a couple that is in love?

In 1967, the United States Supreme court made it completely legal for an interracial couple to get married. This law not only proved to America's people that it's okay to be of two different races and get married, but also helped to try to end the segregation of blacks and white in the early 1900's. As stated in the previous paragraph, there were 390,000 black husband and white wife relationships. Statistically shown, most of the interracial couples in the United States are black and white. There aren't as many asian and white couples as there are white and other races. This goes to show that a great percentage of Americans believe that interracial is not a bad thing, yet there is still those who don't believe in it.

A huge reason why some people do not believe in interracial relationships is because of the mental abuse and bullying towards the couples children. I do agree with this, but at the same time, the only people who ever speak their opinions on the mixed children are the ones from older generations. I have never once in my life time heard a mixed child get made fun of for having a colored and a white parent. This is an okay reason to be against interracial relationships, but I still feel like it happens so rarely that it shouldn't affect a couple who wants to be together. Plus, if you teach your children that it is wrong to be racist towards someone of different color and/or different culture, they will keep a good mind set and not let the non-believers opinions phase them.

Another huge negative outlook and problem could be your family. The older people in your family are most likely from the "racist" generation. For example, my father was born in 1948, and he is completely against me being with a person of color. I have told him numerous times that his opinion is not going to stop me from being with who I love in my future, regardless color, culture, religion, boy or girl. I believe that family is a very, very big thing because they are the people you are always around, and they are the people who will be there for you in the end. At the same time, this is a hard decision when you feel that you are ready to get married, because marriage is forever. My point in this negative topic, is that there could be people in your family that do not agree with the person you are with, but at the same time, they are family and their job as a family member is to support you and be there for you.

Some Americans think interracial dating is wrong, but over half of America has been with someone of color and this is statistically shown. This would mean that most of the people you associate yourself with, have been with someone of a different racial group. Would you judge any of the people you associate with because they are with a person that is a different color? Now a days, generations are changing and people are becoming more and more accepting of people and peoples differences. A great percentage of the population in America are not racist in any way, but there is still that few percent of people that make the different races and their lives hell. Is this morally right?

More than 14 percent of marriages in the United States consist of two different races. That fact says that the number of marriages is going to keep climbing. Who is going to stop these people from getting married? No one. In today's day and age, the number of people who do not have any problems with two different races being together is much to high to stop anyone from doing what they want to do. What can the people who are against interracial marriage do? If you realistically state it, nothing. In the eyes of most, you love and care for who you love and care for. You cannot help what the heart and the mind feels, and in the past generations there has been much emphasis on this. For example, there are many celebrities of two races who are together, such as Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom. I used this couple as an example because the both of them have been given a lot of criticism and judgement because of their colors, and they are still together today and just a strong and healthy as they were before, if not better.

Most may not look at it as a big deal, but being in a interracial relationship has the benefit of learning about your significant others culture and religion. This could not only teach you a lot about another culture, but it could bring you a lot closer to their family and friends. Learning about this would also make you feel more comfortable when you were around them because you would know how to respect them and the way they look at things which could only bring you closer together as a couple. Plus, culture and religion is sometimes a big part of peoples lives, and when it comes down to it, knowing about your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wives culture makes you more flexible to their needs and necessities.

Without research, I think that most of people could say a huge positive outcome of this topic is being with the person you want to be with and not letting the people who disagree with it, come in between your relationship and beliefs. If there is so many interracial relationships and marriages in recent generations, it must somewhat mean that the ones who don't agree either don't have very good reasoning for being against it, or don't have better things to do in life then to be judgmental towards the families and couples that are happy. You never see couples not getting married or being together because they are two different races anymore and I do not know if its because they are blocking out all the negative things people have to say, or because the color of peoples skin, isn't really a factor in America as much as it used to be any more.

To conclude my view and a lot of America's view on this topic, the numbers of interracial couples and marriages is rising daily and who is going to stop it? It is morally wrong and unjust in the eyes of more than half of Americans to judge someone by the color of their skin and to limit the people of America to their race, and only their race. The Constitution states all men are created equal, so who are you to give the people of this free country a boundary on who they can and cannot associate themselves with? No matter race, religion, ethnicity, boy or girl, we should all be able to be with who makes us happy and the only thing that matter in the end is whether or not you are content with the lifestyle you have chosen to live.


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This article has 2 comments.


on Mar. 6 2013 at 12:12 am
I personally am 20 years old and has never experinced bullying of any sort due to my mixed race. My father is white-Hispanic, and my mom is Black Jamaican.  The closest racism I have encoutnered is from hearing stories of how my Cuban grandfather hated my Mom becuae she was black, and ironically still does. But like the article said...It's ususally always the older generation that have a backwards thinking.  Mygrandfather is 86.

on Apr. 14 2012 at 8:48 am
wicked-souls BRONZE, Brooklyn, New York
2 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
-Oscar Wilde

Coming from a person who is mixed with two completely different races, I can tell you that interracial marriages have a great affect on kids because from birth it instills the belief to never discriminate other races and cultures, especially because you have to. However, the marriage could sometimes turn sour if the cultures are entirely different and either partner isn't ready for such a drastic change in their lifestyle.