Some have a strong belief in endogamy due to religious and/or cultural believes others are just genuine racists and some are indifferently liberal on this issue. No matter what, most people seem to end up in a culturally endogamous relationship anyways (mostly because of proximity, I'd assume). I figure opinions on this topic in here is most likely diverse, so - if we can try to keep a nice tone - it can be an interesting discussion to have. Basis for discussion: - Do you believe racial/ethnic exogamy is a bad thing? Why/why not? - Are any of your family members (or you yourself) in an inter-racial relationship? - How do you define the term "interracial" and where do you draw the line? Would you consider, say, a relationship between an European-American woman and an Iranian man an "interracial relationship?" - Why do you think most relationships end up being ethno-culturally and/or racially endogamous? Social stigma and social pressure? Biology? Elaborate.
- I don't believe interracial relationships are bad. I'm pro swirl. - Yes. - Since there isn't an agreed on definition of "white," I personally wouldn't regard Euro-American/Iranian as "interracial" although culturally the gap is fairly huge. I recall I was on a ski trip in Italy years ago and one of the people there was an American married to a German. He felt his marriage was on the rocks because the cultural gaps were fairly huge. We don't usually think of those as being particularly big gaps (particularly since he was German descended) but they sure can be. - Convenience more than social stigma or pressure, depending on the group you're from. If you're a white American, chances are most of the people you run with or meet are going to be white; still a majority after all. If you're Black, and male, you probably don't have much in the way of social pressure to marry black, but of your Black and female, the social pressures are intense to stick with black. With Asians in the US it's more complicated than that however.
I am Scottish, Irish, English and Dutch and my wife is Ecuadorian...... this is working great for us even though our two cultures are so different.
Being retired military, I suppose if a lot of folks on this site walked into the PX on post, they would be stunned at the amount of inter-racial marriages/couples and kids there. Most of those in the military don't have the racial hangup that a lot of civilians do. As a white male I am married to a Thai woman, our oldest daughter married a Lao, my son a white woman and youngest daughter a white man. But one of my grand daughters is married to a black man and a grand son has married a Lao girl. Quite mixture there. Now I live out in the country, around a lot of other retired military. My oldest daughter lives across the road. But one neighbor, Retired Air Force, black guy is married to a Koran gal. On the other side of me is another white retired guy married to a Black girl. The rest around my place married in the same race. I suppose GI's inter racial marry a lot more than civilians. They go all over the world,exposed to many cultures and traditions. Besides, when one is in the military it doesn't matter what race or religion someone is in the next fox hole, what matters is they have your back. That they are part of your team and you protect and defend each other. Its the military family, one and all. Just walk into any PX on any base and see all the mixed race couples. It would probably blow a lot of folks mind.
I believe every human being gets to decide who they couple with based on personal preference. My family has no "Mixed Race" marriages but likely would if they wanted to. Personal preference has also led me to white women because I am attracted to them and not attracted to many others based on physical appearance, cultural differences, and personality.
