“In this episode…”
we’re talking all about interracial dating. Interracial dating is growing in acceptance in the US, with many couples choosing to date and marry outside their culture or race, sometimes even exclusively.
Teaser Bullets
by the end of this episode you’ll learn:
- definitions, facts and stats about interracial dating
- Myths and stereotypes about interracial dating
- Concerns and benefits of interracial dating
Describe the problem
…Recently a Cheerios commercial showed a little girl talking about the cereal to her mom for a few seconds, then sweetly leaving a handful on her dad’s chest while he was napping to “help with his heart.” But what should have been an cute ad for some toasted O’s turned into a firestorm of criticism, since the mom in the commercial was white, and the dad was black. This backlash of course inspired deeper conversations on race in America, especially around topic of interracial relationships and dating. And while many would like to claim that they “don’t see race” or that “race doesn’t matter anymore,” it still is a hot button issue. So if you date outside your race or culture (or would like to), what are the facts, really? And is there really cause for so much concern? Find out in Part One of this episode.
Definitions, Facts and Stats
http://www.interracialdatingcentral.com/how-it-works/what-is-interracial-dating
What is “Interracial Dating”?
Interracial dating is dating between people from a different race or culture.
interracial – of, involving, or for members of different races: interracial amity
Reference: dictionary.com
When many people think of interracial dating they think of a black woman and a white man or visa versa. This isn’t all that interracial dating is about. Interracial dating can also be about dating someone from a different cultural background than your own.
The top three reasons why people choose to date interracially are that they’re attracted to the…
- physical appearance
- attitude
- culture
…of people of a different race.
So whether you’re interested in dating Latinos, Greeks, Asians, Jamaicans, Fijians, Afro-Americans or Europeans… chances are that you ARE interested in dating interracially and never knew it!
-90 percent of Latino and African-American women, and 85 percent of white respondents [in a survey for Oxygen] said they were OK with having a future partner of a different race than their own. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/race-in-dating-no-biggie-poll_n_3043647.html)
-In a Pew Research Center survey, black men are two times more likely to marry someone of another race or ethnicity than Black women, though the opposite is true among Asian women and men.
-Top 20 States for Interracial Dating include Ohio (9) and Georgia (5) (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/top-20-states-interracial-dating-infographic_n_1959131.html)
-Interracial marriages in the U.S. have climbed to 4.8 million – a record 1 in 12 – as a steady flow of new Asian and Hispanic immigrants expands the pool of prospective spouses. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/interracial-marriage-in-us_n_1281229.html)
-Blacks are now substantially more likely than before to marry whites. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/interracial-marriage-in-us_n_1281229.html)
-20.6 percent, or more than one in five same-sex couples, are interracial or inter-ethnic, compared with 18.3 percent of straight unmarried couples, and 9.5 percent of straight married couples. (2010 Census Analysis info: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/gay-couples-interracial-interethnic-2010-census_n_1456613.html)
–According to a 2010 study of interracial marriages, more and more people are choosing to date and marry outside their race. Census data by researchers at Cornell University and Ohio State University shows that in 1980, 6.7 percent of marriages were interracial. By 2008, it had risen to nearly 15 percent. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/interracial-dating-teens-_n_1406967.html)
–An estimated 4.5 million married couples in the USA are interracial, according to 2011 Census data released from a Current Population Survey.
-A USA TODAY/Gallup poll released in September found that 86% of Americans approve of black-white marriages, compared with 48% in 1991. Among ages 18-37, 97% approved. (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/marriage/story/2011-11-07/Interracial-marriage-More-accepted-still-growing/51115322/1)
-Reuben Thomas, an assistant professor of sociology at The City College of New York, in his yet-unpublished study he presented to the American Sociological Association found that “any couple that involved a black member is more likely to have met in a public setting, an unintroduced way, compared to other couples,” who tend to meet through friends or groups, such as school, work or the neighborhood. (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/marriage/story/2011-11-07/Interracial-marriage-More-accepted-still-growing/51115322/1)
-Asian men and black women are the most likely to be excluded as potential mates, says sociologist Cynthia Feliciano, an associate professor of Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California-Irvine, who has studied interracial dating preferences among 6,070 heterosexual Internet dating profiles of people ages 18-50.
-Whites are the least open to interracial dating and are much more likely to date only whites than are blacks, Latinos or Asians. “The dating preferences of whites are primarily driving the fact that intermarriage rates are so low,” Feliciano says. (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/marriage/story/2011-11-07/Interracial-marriage-More-accepted-still-growing/51115322/1)
-“The rise in interracial marriage indicates that race relations have improved over the past quarter century,” said Daniel Lichter, a sociology professor at Cornell University. “Mixed-race children have blurred America’s color line. They often interact with others on either side of the racial divide and frequently serve as brokers between friends and family members of different racial backgrounds,” he said. “But America still has a long way to go.”
ERY SJS Discussion: what are some of the biggest myths, misconceptions, stereotypes that may make people date or NOT date another race?
Coming up in Segment #2: Challenges and Benefits
Call or text 508 444 2003 to tell us your interracial dating and relationship stories.
Segment #2
Challenges and Benefits from California State University, Fullerton
Challenges
- People within your community not accepting the relationship
- Family and friends keeping their distance; not talking to you.
- Indirect comments: being stared at, people shaking their heads as you walk by or enter a restaurant. Your partner not being acknowledged at a party or get together.
- Being asked by family or friends not to bring your partner over.
- Within the relationship there may be disagreements about who’s values/beliefs are more important
- Direct comments: “You should be with your own kind,” “You are a sellout,” “You are disgracing your race/culture” and possibly other insulting comments.
- One partner may feel uncomfortable telling their family and friends about the relationship. This will cause problems in the relationship.
Benefits
- Learning about another culture or religion.
- Being exposed to new ways of thinking.
- Incorporating aspects of the culture/race/religion into you daily life.
- Becoming stronger in what you believe.
- Having an incredible experience with someone you love and respect.
- Possibly learning a new language.
- Being exposed to another country.
- By example teaching others around you that the relationship is like any other, with challenges but worth it
Coming up in Part Two: Tips for Interracial Dating
We want to hear from you! Call or text 508 444 2003 to tell us about your interracial dating stories.
Gift
…if you want more GOOD advice like this for free, keep listening to this podcast and also visit to grab “How to Get the Guy” or “How to Get the Girl.” It’s a five day course, packed full of great stuff for you to improve your dating life.
iTunes Review
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Segment #3
- Listener Tips
In Closing
In closing, on behalf of myself, Elijah R. Young, and everyone involved in bringing this show to your ears, we hope we’ve made your relationship better today than it was yesterday. Now go forth and relate to one another…we’ll talk soon.
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