Listening to my parents talk about it, interracial relationships were much different a generation ago. My mom used to tell me about how she was treated when she would date black men in the 60s. At the very least, people would do a double take. Sometimes, she would even be harassed by the police officers. No one wanted to see interracial dating, and they especially didn't want to see interracial marriage. It was so taboo that it wasn't even discussed in many communities. The idea was repugnant to a large segment of American society.
Although I am sure there are still people against interracial relationship dating, in my experience it has never been a problem. I have been in several different interracial relationships, and no one has ever said anything to me about it. I suppose that I live in a very tolerant area, but even so it is striking how normal it is for most people in my peer group. My friends come from all different races, and we all date freely. We have all of the problems that young people have everywhere, But none of those problems have anything to do with race.
Still, I know that at least in some places, interracial relationships are less accepted than they are here. My cousin just had an interracial marriage, and her parents all but disowned her. I went down to North Carolina to participate in the wedding ceremony, and it was one of the most awkward events I have ever experienced. Neither family would look at the other one, and it was only after the drinks had been flowing for a while that conversation finally started. It seemed like such a big deal to make out of nothing. Who really cares about someone else's skin color anyway?
I suppose that, if you live in a community like that, it is very difficult to keep a long-term interracial relationship going. My cousin has talked to me about it a few times, and it sounds like life has been pretty hard since she started her current relationship. Sometimes, the biases that people have are subtle, but they are still there. No one wants to have to put up with a constant undercurrent of hostility from their friends and families. It is no wonder that there aren't more interracial relationships in this country. They are just simply too hard for many people to keep going.
