Interracial Dating

Many interracial couples are faced with negative reactions from society, making it hard for them to have a regular relationship. They have to deal with disapproval from their own race, pessimistic reactions from family and friends, and not to mention the ignorance of society as a whole. Why is interracial dating so controversial? Is not racism a thing of the past, or is that what we would like to believe?

People who date and socialize with people of different racial groups frequently experience negative reactions. Many of the disapproving messages come from people of their own racial group. They scoff and make fun of the idea that they are dating someone with a different tone of skin or ethnic background. According to a poll taken in 1992, many people believe that people should date within their race to keep the unity within the ethnic community. It is like they believe in sequestering each racial group. They believe that every race is uniquely special and should not be integrated. Mixing races would only cause problems.

Probably one of the most hurtful things in life is having to deal with family and friends who are not supportive of the people you truly like and love. One might wonder what may cause family and friends to rebel against interracial dating. As explained in Verna Stolkes' book entitled Marriage, Class and Color in the 19th Century Cuba, many families may oppose the bonding of their loved one with someone of another race because of political reasons, religious reasons, or family pride. Apparently, many are not able to handle the conflicts and struggles brought on by family and friends. They need sanctions or permission from their parents to see if it is okay to date out of their race. The parent's influential power causes them to be skeptical and doubtful about being involved in such relationship that they decide to end a perfect relationship in order to make them happy.

Many people who date out of their race are likely to encounter tension and criticism from society as a whole. People tend to have a superficial understanding about interracial dating and forget about the true meaning of a relationship. What temerity