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While I was in California, it wasn't uncommon for me to date black,white Mexican,Asian or Middle Easterners. I never understood people who had a problem with it. I now live in the South and I admire those women of different races even more.
Being Black in the suburbs, I was in the minority. Dating someone white wasn't a big deal to me. It was to my girlfriends' parents- so it became a big deal to my girlfriends. I never could understand it. Now, I live in S.E.Texas and I have to put my thick skin on just having lunch with someone of a different race.
Was I more or less happy dating outside of my race? No more no less, it depended on the girl.
He wasn't 100% black, I guess you could say he was a black man and a white man. I never thought of it that way. Since he passed away the emphasis from everyone was that grandpa was a black man.
He was a great man no matter what color.
asitshouldbe, your great-grandfather was most likely a black man who was light-skinned and moved to another part of the country to "pass". In order to understand what "passing" is, you should read about a contemporary who did "pass": Anatole Broyard.
Hypothesis: Are people in interracial relationships as happy as people in same race relationships?
In our day and age the divorce rate is very high, though we can't measure happiness maybe you can measure if the divorce rate is higher in interracial relationships or not. That might be a good indicator of so-called "happiness".
asitshouldbe, your great-grandfather was most likely a black man who was light-skinned and moved to another part of the country to "pass". In order to understand what "passing" is, you should read about a contemporary who did "pass": Anatole Broyard.
al;ksfja;lsdfj;aeopiruweou what!?! Why does it matter?
That is an interesting question. The answer depends on the value that one places on one's heritage.
I had no agenda by posting those links; I only wanted to show the person in question that the situation that she described has happened before (and in some parts of the country, are fairly common).
If you find no value in those links, then that is your opinion. But of course, your opinion is yours, and has value in your world. Beyond that, it is all subjective.
As to the larger question asked -- whether people in interracial relationships are as happy as people in same race relationships -- I think that the answer to that question depends on the value that one places on race and/or culture in general. It also depends on the flexibility of the people involved to bridge whatever differences arise between them. It is important to note, however, that the abilities mentioned are highly advantageous to anyone involved in a relationship, regardless of color, creed, culture, etc.
Until the local racists burn a cross on their lawn.
While cross burning on my lawn didn't happen to me when I was with my African boyfriend (see previous post on this thread,) we did endure LOTS of rude, threatening and biased comments made by total strangers, prejudice when trying to rent an apartment (in Washington DC,) and, to my complete embarrassment, prejudice from my own family which was a complete surprise to me since never before had they shown any prejudice. With the cultural problems we had after his arrival in this country, added to the prejudice we encountered, it was more stress than I could deal with and we split up. Granted, this was in the mid-1980s. It is my sincere hope that this type of prejudice has eased up or disappeared.
I saw my African boyfriend last year for the first time since 1989 and we talked about the stresses we had had on our relationship once we came to the US. Having come from his country (Sierra Leone) where his girlfriend (me) was embraced with open arms by his family and his countrymen, he was horrified by how Americans treated us, as well as how my family dealt the the whole situation. Who knows what would have happened with our relationship if we were together now, 20+ years later, in the US where things seem to be a little more progressive, and I'm older and not so worried about what my family thinks. I do know that seeing him was difficult since we split up in 1988 while I was still completely in love with him and him with me. I am happily married now and so is he, but the memories are still vivid and bittersweet. In the meantime, we don't have contact and since he lives 1000 miles away, that's not difficult. There's a Sierra Leone saying that basically says, "Old fires catch again easily." So it's best we don't see each other or talk to each other. If in my old age we both find ourselves widowed, perhaps then . . . Sounds like the stuff movies are made of .
Until the local racists burn a cross on their lawn.
Which era are you living in ?
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