Interracial_Relationships

This paper analyzes interracial relationships in the United States. It looks at the history of interracial relationships and some basic information as well as how they develop and who they involve. There are several problems that people in interracial relationships face, and those are examined as well. It also addresses how children are affected by interracial relationships, and societies perspective of them. This paper looks at current literature over the past ten years that address all these issues. History of Interracial Relationships in U.S Interracial relationships in the United States have been present in this country for a long time. According to “…Smith 1966 reports that there is evidence of intermixing between the two races before blacks came to this content as slaves” (Foeman and Nance, 541). During the time of slavery (date') plantation owners often would rape their slaves, resulting in a mixture of black and white children. As a result of this practice being so common, laws were put into place to discontinue these practices (Foeman and Nance, 541-542). Even though these laws were established marriages and these practices continued to take place between black and white individuals. Black and white marriages peaked in the 1900’s, but then declined in the 1940’s (Foeman and Nance, 542). According to the census bureau “there are 1 million interracial marriages and over half a million interracial children” (Foeman and Nance, 542). Compared to the 1900’s and early 1940’s interracial relationships have been on a constant rise. For instance, in 1968 the television show “Star Trek” showed the first interracial kiss (Vargas, 3). After that advancement in US history, “In 1970, interracial marriages accounted for less than 1 percent, or about 300,000, or married couples in the United States, according to a recent study by the Population Reference Bureau” (Vargas, 4). By the year 2000, interracial marriages “…were 5.4 percent, or more than 3 million” (Vargas, 4). How Interracial Relationships Develop When interracial marriages develop, they develop in four stages: “racial awareness, coping, identity emergence, and maintenance” (Foeman and Nance, 237,2002). Racial awareness is the first stage of relationship development during this stage couples notice their attraction for one another and the potential for a relationship may exist (Foeman and Nance, 238, 2002). When couples have established their attraction for one another, they must “….now decide how to integrate this new information into their long-term relationship” (Foeman and Nance, 244, 2002). As the makes this transition in their relationship, they enter into the coping stage. The coping stage is when couples need to realize what aspects inside and outside of their relationship may threaten them, and they must become dependant of each other. In addition, couples should make decisions together (Foeman and Nance, 224, 2002). “The coping stage can be summarized as a time for generating sets of reactive strategies to ensure the survival of the relationship” (Foeman and Nance, 246, 2002). The third stage of interracial relationship development is identity emergence. In this stage, couples have to learn to view their differences as positive. For instance, “Being bi-racial is a gift” (Foeman and Nance, 246, 2002). The fourth stage is maintenance. Couples in the maintenance stage should continue to maintain the previous stages of their relationship and continue to be aware of the obstacles they may face (Foeman and Nance , 247, 2002). Problems in Interracial Relationships There are many obstacles that people in interracial relationships face. One general issue that minorities encounter is racism or bias. For instance, in the work place “whites may give white candidates the benefit of the doubt” (Dovido, 92). In general, it seems as if minorities are not given equal opportunities in the work place. In interracial relationships biases from outsiders is a constant problem; couples are continually facing public scrutiny (Foeman and Nance, 238, 2002). Another problem that individuals in interracial relationships face is abstruseness. For instance, “A high percentage of college students who become involved in interracial relationships do not inform their parents” (Foeman and Nance, 239, 2002). Interracial couples are scared to let outsiders know about their relationships because they fear being criticized. In addition, many others seem to put labels on the couple. As a result, interracial couples should keep their guard up, and be careful as to whom they can trust (Foeman and Nance, 239-240, 2002). A fourth problem that individual couples face is discrepancies between their families. Each family may come from an entirely different background and may not understand the others values. These differences can cause rifts between family members. For example, couples may limit the amount of time they spend with their family. Couples may also choose to not attend a family function together rather, one shows up and the other does not or they show up separately (Foeman and Nance, 244, 2002). Children of Interracial Relationships The problems in the relationship become more complex if the couple decides to have children. There has been a steady rise of interracial children in the United States (Jones and Ferdinand, 2). “According to the Bureau of the Census, as a reported in Time Magazine, May,5, 1997, there are now more than two million multiracial children” (Jones and Ferdinand,2). The Census Bureau does not categorize biracial children in an effective way; they cannot distinguish a category to put them in. For Instance, they will group them with whatever race the father is (Campbell, 147). As a result biracial children are “one whom fate has condemned to live in two societies, not merely different, but antagonist, cultures” because they are forced to choose between two races (Campbell, 147). Children face several problems when they are biracial. One of them is that they are not accepted by either race represented in their culture. This leads to problems with personal identity (Campbell 147-148). These personal identity problems follow them when they go to school. Some kids are not accepting of biracial individuals and may outcast them. Therefore, in school they are lonely and have limited interactions with their peers (Campbell, 148). Due to the fact that these biracial children are not accepted by their peers they constantly question their personal identity and “who they are” (Campbell, 149). They do not know how to describe themselves to others and if they choose one race to label themselves then their “…choices are viewed as a sign of racial ‘allegiance’” (Campbell, 149). Their peers will think that they prefer one race over the other. (Campbell, 149). Although biracial children may face these problems, they may use other alternatives to increase their personal and social identity. Such as, being aware of their cultural background. Biracial children should also prepare themselves for negative comments that they may receive from their peers. In addition, establishing a secure group of friends at school and a stable relationship with their families can create a posititve identity of oneself (Jones and Ferdinand, 3-4). Works Cited Dovidio, J.F., S.L. Gaertner, K. Kawakami,& G. Hodson. “Why Can’t We Just Get Along' Interpersonal Biases and Interracial Distrust.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 8(2), 88-102. Foeman, A.,& T. Nance. “Building New Cultures, Reframing Old Images: Success Strategies of Interracial Couples.” Howard Journal of Communications, 13(3), 237-249, 2002. Foeman A., &T. Nance. “From Miscegenation to Multiculturalism: Perceptions of Stages in Interracial Relationships Development.” Journal of Black Studies, 29(4), 540-557, 1999. Vargas, J.A. “In Living Colors; A white kid who dates black girls' An Asian girl with a thing for Latinos' No big deal to many Washington area teens, who date across racial and ethnic lines their parents never breached.” The Washington Post, October 23, 2005. Ferdinand, J. “Interracial Children, Parents, Educators, Face Unique Challenges.” Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 13(8), 1-6. Campbell, M.E, & J. E. Boeck. “What About the Children'” The Psychological and Social Well-Being of Multiracial Adolescents” The Sociological Quarterly,47,147-173. Zebroski, S.A. “Black-White Intermarriages: The Racial and Gender Dynamics of Support and Opposition.” Journal of Black Studies, 30(1), 123-132. Troy, A.B., J.L. Smith, & J.P. Laurenceau. “Interracial and Intraracial Romantic Relationships: The Search for Differences in Satisfaction, Conflict, and Attatchment Style.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 23(1), 66-80. Tucker, M.B.,& C.M. Kernan. “New Trends in Black American Interracial Marriage: The Social Context” Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52(1), 209-218. Lewandowski, D.A.,& L.A. Jackson. “Perceptions of Interracial Couples: Prejudices at the Dyadic Level.” Journal of Black Psychology, 27(3), 288-303.