Interracial Dating Essay

Imagine being in an interracial relationship where racism is still thriving and having to feel afraid to express your love for your significant other. Throughout high school, I was in a relationship with a biracial boy, who has a Caucasian mother and African-American father. I knew I was in love with my boyfriend but still realized that dating someone who is not of the same race is viewed as controversial in America. While I believed I had the found the perfect guy, including his skin tone, my father disagreed; he told me that my decision was unacceptable and prohibited because of conditions in America. Before the Civil War, white Americans enslaved those of other racial backgrounds and claimed that whites were superior because of the color

Some suggest that interracial dating causes “contamination” (Root 69) and a “loss of cultural identity” (Root 69) in the family. Those opposed assert that dating or marrying someone from another cultural background makes the two cultures impure by changing or removing traditions and customs. I respond by stating that interracial dating enables racial boundaries and stereotypes to dilute. By dating someone of another race, people are enabled to experience and be directly exposed to other cultures. In most cases, these experiences allow people to see that some stereotypes are incorrect, such as all whites being described as racist or all blacks being viewed as gangsters. I claim that couples discover that there are not significant differences between racial backgrounds; people of all races share some of the same interests, morals, and values. Because of these discoveries, race relations have improved over time. Pew Research states that “a majority of Millennials…say at least some of their friends are of a different race” (Pew Research Center par. 12). Most of today’s society socializes with people of other races, instead of segregating themselves. Moreover, educational and occupational opportunities have allowed the racial gaps to narrow. As minorities receive more education, they can have jobs and afford houses in neighborhoods that were once the majority’s. Qian reports that increased interactions allows people “to reduce stereotypes and establish friendships” (Qian par. 5). Qian suggests that when people of various races interact every day, they become more tolerant of each other and no longer see race as an issue. These friendships allow society to be personally connected with those of other races and more accepting of interracial relationships. In the same way, when someone in an