About Racism in Interracial Dating

Racism in interracial dating is something that has been a major social problem for centuries. Whether the racism originates from family, community or friends, when it's around it is a problem and can cause tension within the relationships and groups of people. Although these issues in interracial dating have slightly lessened within the past few decades, it unfortunately is still an everyday issue for many people living all around the world.

History

In the past, interracial dating and marriages have even been banned in certain parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, South Africa and Australia. Anti-miscegenation laws were overturned in the USA in 1967 as a result of the Loving vs. Virginia case. Though interracial marriages are not banned anywhere anymore, there are still many racist groups and organizations vehemently opposing the whole idea, most notoriously the Ku Klux Klan.

Time Frame

Over the past few decades, instances of interracial marriages have steadily increased, which is one of the reasons why it's not as big of an issue for most people anymore. Back in 1970, interracial marriages only composed .7% of all marriages. By 1980, it was up to 1.3%. By the early nineties, interracial marriages composed 2.2% of all unions, and the percentage is steadily and surely increasing to this day. Since the number of interracial marriages is rising, it makes it a lot easier on those who are involved in interracial dating situations.

Effects

Many people involved in interracial relationships have to deal with racism, most notably from family members and friends. Also, interracial couples are still not immune to the occasional whispers and stares from communities, especially in small towns. However, these issues are becoming less and less of a problem as we progress further into the twenty-first century.

Expert Insight

In America, many studies have shown that the most controversial interracial relationships are between individuals of black and Caucasian descent. Americans of many diverse races and ethnic groups have shown to be more accepting of Hispanic-Caucasian and Hispanic-Asian relationships. Relationships between Asians and Caucasians are less controversial to many because of economic prosperity, skin color, and history of ethnic issues.

Geography

Certain parts of the United States are far more accepting towards interracial dating. For example, unsurprisingly, larger cities on the coasts like Los Angeles and New York City have a lot more interracial couples than many other cities in the United States. This is not only because these larger metropolitan areas have more racial diversity in the first place, but because these cities tend to be far more socially liberal than most other US cities, particularly those in the South and Midwest.

Resources

• Interacial Dating and Lifestyle
• Interracial Couples