By Heather Wood, Sirens Magazine. Posted March 21, 2008.
The miscegenation of our society may seem to be growing at a steady rate based on how often we've been talking about race lately. But let's not kid ourselves. Interracial relationships represent approximately seven percent of couples in the country, which is incredible progress considering they represented just .07 percent in 1960. But for our ever-diversifying nation, these are alarmingly low figures. For the most part, everyone is still sticking to their "own kind." Is this intentional segregation or just cultural tradition? Could be both. But one thing remains certain: Every interracial couple entering into a serious relationship knows what struggles lie ahead. Maybe that 93 percent would just rather avoid them.
I can't say I blame them. I'm white, and I lead a very happy life with my black husband. Our families love us and our friends are accepting. Of course it helps that we live in Los Angeles, a big city that's had a longer time to get used to multiculturalism and interracial couples than most. Still, we experience little daily reminders of just how far we have yet to go to reach complete acceptance in this country — a raised eyebrow here, a snarky comment there, just enough to remind us that we're still discriminated against. And we've got it easy compared to most: Had we been born at different times and in different states, we'd never have had a chance.
More here.
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21 responses so far ↓
1 WMD // Mar 24, 2008 at 8:11 am
attn Tony:
good article but i’d like to see you list some of your proposed solution
also, you mentioned that your church is highly intergrated. what was said about Rev. Wright in the pews and altar of your church. doesn’t have to be anything scientific. just wanna know what was the general word of mouth
2 richard // Mar 24, 2008 at 8:41 am
I heard some of what Wright had to say and while it might be inflammatory to many, I agree with much of what he said.
I may post the transcript later and see who disagrees.
Does anyone really think that the US was COMPLETELY blameless for the 9-11 attacks?
Were we completely innocent?
Do we NOT have chickens coming home to roost?
3 TWD // Mar 24, 2008 at 8:47 am
There seem to be quite a few interracial couples in our area. I wonder if we have a higher percentage here than the 7% national average.
4 WMD // Mar 24, 2008 at 8:59 am
attn Richard:
you hit the nail on the head
none of the corporate media wanted to address the truths 9and some falsehoods) of what Wright said
they rather debate the personality of Wright and Obama but not the content
it is overlooked that Wright was a marine
it is overlooked that Wright even got a commendation for taking care of President Johnson (i’ll try to post the link for this)
5 WMD // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:01 am
attn TWD:
in the Washington D.C. area i think there is a higher than average mingling, dating, sexual relations and even marriage
but i gotta find weblink that may have some actual stats instead of my assumptions
6 Coleman Shedman // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:20 am
I would be certain it is higher in the area simply because the black population in this area is much higher than the national average. Personally, I think the reason the numbers of interracial couples are relatively low have more to do with cultural differences than racism, although black/white relationships still seem to raise more eyebrows than asian/white or hispanic/white.
7 TWD // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:33 am
I can say that, in my experience, there were more cultural differences in our family’s hispanic/white couple than there are in our family’s black/white couple. In the black/white couple’s case, both were born and raised in the same country (the same state, even) and that seemed to make everything easier.
8 Coleman Shedman // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:42 am
Crabman and Joy, my favorite interracial couple:
http://www.nbc.com/My_Name_Is_Earl/images/photos/scet/1299/NUP_109846_ 0289.jpg
9 Tony Penny // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:54 am
There has been no mention of Wright or Obama at my church. Our Easter services were cut short by a power outage in the area yesterday morning.
My church, like my county, is not only highly integrated but has a large percentage of interracial couples as well.
10 richard // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:56 am
Here’s mine:
http://www.ufocasebook.com/hillpic3.png
11 Coleman Shedman // Mar 24, 2008 at 10:12 am
Interspecies?
http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_apr2004/ElephIno.jpg
12 richard // Mar 24, 2008 at 10:45 am
The first interracial couple I remember was Betty and Barney Hill from “The UFO Incident,” a movie about a couple that is abducted by a UFO.
13 Tony Penny // Mar 24, 2008 at 11:09 am
The first one I saw was Tom and Helen Willis from “The Jeffersons.”
14 richard // Mar 24, 2008 at 11:22 am
Tom Willis – Now THAT was one white dude.
15 WMD // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura – first interracial kiss on a nationwide TV series
16 WMD // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:22 pm
“I met Dr. King at a fundraiser and he told me that I was one of the most important people in his family. That they watched Star Trek and that I was a role model and their hero. And I said I said I was very proud of that and that was very nice, and then I told him that I was [considering] leaving the show, and he said abruptly – ‘You can not! You absolutely must not. Do you know that you have the first non-stereotypical role on television? You’re a first. This is not a female role. This is not a black role. This is a quality role, and this is an equal role, and it is in a command position. You have to carry on, because not only do little black children and do women see you and aspire and do you have meaning for them, but everyone else sees us for the first time the way we are supposed to be – on an equal basis, and on a level of dignity and authority and with the highest of qualifications.’” ~ Nichelle Nichols recalling a conversation she had with MLK, Jr.
http://www.trektoday.com/news/050901_05.shtml
17 Coleman Shedman // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Kirk is my hero…he would hit anything female…black, white, green, human, alien, whatever. Shatner just had a birthday I think…77.
18 WMD // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Not many people know this, but it was originally written as being between Uhura and Spock. But Bill Shatner said ‘Oh no! If anyone is going to get to kiss Nichelle, it’s going to be me!’ And so they rewrote it, and we all laughed about it.” ~ Nichelle Nichols
19 Coleman Shedman // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:24 pm
“You can not! You absolutely must not. Do you know that you have the first non-stereotypical role on television? You’re a first. This is not a female role. This is not a black role. This is a quality role, and this is an equal role, and it is in a command position. You have to carry on, because not only do little black children and do women see you and aspire and do you have meaning for them, but everyone else sees us for the first time the way we are supposed to be – on an equal basis, and on a level of dignity and authority and with the highest of qualifications.”
Plus she was hot in that short skirt!
20 Coleman Shedman // Mar 25, 2008 at 9:11 pm
You think it’s hard being an interracial couple?!?
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/54/039_8892~Planet-of-the -Apes-Posters.jpg
“I love every chimp I see
From chimpan-a to chimpan-zee”
21 TheWeeklyRader // Mar 28, 2008 at 2:20 am
There is a great collection of poems by natasha tretheway called Native Guard that won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry last year. She has poems on this very issue; in fact, I write about miscegenation and interracial relationships in my post today (http://weeklyrader.blogspot.com). It’s a topic that goes back in literature to Langston Hughes and Claude McKay . . .
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