Multiracial Relationships

From LoveToKnow Dating

Ever since the Supreme Court overturned in 1967 a Virginia law that barred whites from marrying non-whites, multiracial relationships have flourished. A recent study by Stanford University estimates that seven percent of married couples in 2005 are multiracial, compared to less than two percent back in 1970. While there are no statistics on the number of multiracial relationships amongst unmarried couples, it has surely grown even more than the marriage rate.

What are Multiracial Relationships?

Multiracial relationships are when two people of different ethnic backgrounds are a couple, also known as interracial relationships. It can be a couple where one is Hispanic and the other is Asian, for example. Or, it can be a couple who are both multiracial—such as one person having White and Black parents and the other person has Latino and Asian parents.

LoveToKnow Dating Tips
What Other People Think
A sad fact about multiracial dating is that not everyone will approve of your relationship. Before starting a relationship, decide ahead of time if you can handle knowing that some people think this way.

As society becomes increasingly multiethnic and as multiracial relationships continue to rise, society may begin to look more alike than different. You could say that multiracial partners and their children are the pioneers of a changing culture. Like most pioneers, however, there are challenges associated with being first.

Challenges that Couples Face

All couples must work on making their relationship healthy by practicing such things as communication, respect and patience. Multiracial couples have these same challenges and more. Some of the additional challenges they must deal with include:

Family Pressure

You may be the happiest couple who gets along just fine when you are together, but some members of your family may not be as enthusiastic about your relationship as you are. In fact, you may never know who in your family—or your partner’s family—has negative feelings about multiracial relationships until they interact with you.

Your parents, for example, may be comfortable with the idea of you dating someone from another race, but maybe your grandparents or extended family is not. In some families this may not have much of an impact, but in close families, it could cause much strife.

Societal Pressure

Where you live will have a considerable impact on whether your relationship experiences public scrutiny. In some parts of the country, multiracial relationships are far less common—and less accepted—than in more heterogeneous areas. For example, it was only in the year 2000 that Bob Jones University in South Carolina finally removed its ban on interracial dating.

Cultural Differences

Culture plays a large role in how we experience life and what expectations we have. Couples of the same ethnic background can have a difficult time understanding each other—so an ethnically diverse couple should expect an even greater challenge. If you don’t understand why your partner acts a certain way, it could just be his or her personality, but it might be cultural influences instead.

Religious Differences

Any couple may have different religious backgrounds, whether drastically different, such as a Christian dating a Buddhist, or it can be more subtle, like a Presbyterian dating a Methodist. The chances are greater, however, for a multiracial couple to have drastically different religions, which can definitely make the relationship more complicated.

Overcome the Obstacles

While a multiracial couple may have more challenges, there are things that can be done to improve the chances of having a happy, long-lasting relationship.

Communicate…about everything. You’ve probably heard that communication is very important for relationships and that is true. A multiracial couple needs to communicate as much as, and probably more than, other couples.

Spend time around friends and family. If you have friends or family who are prejudiced toward your partner, try and purposefully spend time with that person or persons. Most prejudices are born out of fear of the unknown—so make your partner and your relationship known to them.

Consider moving. If you live in a part of the country that is less tolerant of your relationship, consider moving. Living in a place where your relationship is not judged by your neighbors will feel very refreshing.

Celebrate your differences. You are bound to have cultural differences in a multiracial relationship, so celebrate them. If you have different ways of doing things, pick and choose or create something new. For example, if you have different ways of celebrating holidays, come up with an idea that combines the most important aspects of each other’s practices into a brand new tradition that you both will enjoy.

Conclusion

If you are prepared to tackle the challenges that you will face as a multiracial couple, you will be rewarded with a richly diverse and exciting relationship.

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