The History and Patterns of Interracial Marriage and Families in the United States
analytical Essay
1233 words
Coming from an interracial family, as well as an interracial romantic relationship, I was drawn toward researching the history and patterns of interracial marriage and families in the United States. Having the social experiences involved with dating exogamously or having interethnic siblings and cousins can drastically affect the way one interacts with and sees the world. As early as 1691, colonial-era United States established anti-miscegenation laws banning blacks and whites from interracial marriage and sex, stemming from the oppression and supposed racial inferiority of African-Americans. Colonies such as Virginia and Maryland were the first to introduce laws prohibiting interracial marriage in 1691 and 1692, respectively (Sweet). Other colonies closely followed suit, even passing in colonies which did not have slavery, though no nation other than the US had any laws like them. These laws were not abolished nationwide until 1967, after the controversial Loving v Virginia case in the US Supreme Court (Qian 263). The case involved an interracial couple, the Lovings, aided by the American Civil Liberties Union, who able to overturn the law, arguing that it violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights. Different generations within the US public have very differing views of interracial couples, usually a polarized view of either cultural conservatism or egalitarianism. But the public at large has still yet to overcome the taboo, part of the reason behind the currently small rates of interracial marriages. Even though, since the court's decision, America has seen an increase of interracial marriages as well as interracial offspring of those marriages. Occurrences of these 'multiracial Americans' has led to a change in government dat... ... middle of paper ... ...he One-Drop Rule". Backintyme Essays. 21 May 2010 . Tehranian, John. "Performing Whiteness: Naturalization Litigation and the Construction of Racial Identity in America." The Yale Law Journal. Vol. 109, No. 4. (2000), pp. 817-848. United States. Dept. of Commerce. Census Bureau. “The White Population 2000: Census 2000 Brief.” Washington: GPO, 2000. . Vaquera, Elizabeth, and Grace Kao. "Private and Public Displays of Affection Among Interracial and Intra-Racial Adolescent Couples." Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited) 86.2 (2005): 484-508. Academic Search Complete. Zhang, Yuanting, and Jennifer Van Hook. "Marital Dissolution Among Interracial Couples." Journal of Marriage & Family 71.1 (2009): 95-107. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 21 May 2010.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that coming from an interracial family, they were drawn to researching the history and patterns of in-terra-cial marriage and families in the united states.
- Explains that colonial-era united states established anti-miscegenation laws banning blacks and whites from interracial marriage and sex, stemming from oppression and supposed racial inferiority of african-americans.
- Explains that the history of being defined as 'white' has been inconsistent. under the naturalization act of 1790, naturalization was only offered to "any alien, being a free white person."
- Explains that the low occurrence and disproportionate failure rates of interracial marriages in the us indicate the persistence of racial boundaries still embedded in american culture.
- Explains that interracial marriages are skewed due to non-exhaustive and misleading categories.
- Explains that hispanics and asian americans are more likely than african americans to live in predominantly white neighborhoods. this likelihood is even higher for those with greater educational attainment.
- Explains that stratification theorists argue that when educational boundaries become stronger, racial barriers may become easier to cross. interracial marriages involving whites and minorities should become educationally homogamous.
- Explains that multiraciality and the dynamics of race relations in the united states.
- Explains loving v. virginia. no. 395. supreme court of the us. june 12, 1967.
- Analyzes sweet's essay on the invention of the color line and the one-drop rule.
- Analyzes vaquera, elizabeth, and grace kao. private and public displays of affection among interracial and intra-racial adolescent
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- analytical
- argumentative
- opinionated
- explanatory
- Richard Jr. Lewis. and Joanne Ford-Robertson, authors of Understanding the Occurrence of Interracial American in the United States Through Differential Assimilation, are sociologists who conducted research to see what trends appeared in interracial relations among individuals in the United States between 1980 and 2006. Their article discusses the patterns they noted and some ideas they inferred from those patterns. American society has come a long way since the 1960s, in the way that it views cultural differences; the civil rights movement opened people’s minds to the idea of diversity. The United States is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse nations, so interracial dating and marriage were bound to occur. Lewis and Ford-Robertson’s findings showed that interracial marriages have increased over the past two decades, but it still only accounts for a small percentage of overall marriages in the United States. From the sociological perspective the reasoning behind this is due to traditional assimilation and cultural pluralism. Lewis and Ford-Robertson hone in on the concept that differential assimilation is responsible for the inconsistency in interracial marriages.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that richard jr. lewis and joanne ford-robertson conducted research to see what trends appeared in interracial relations among individuals in the united states between 1980 and 2006.
- Explains lewis and ford-robertson's definition of "color grading" and "identificational assimilation" in their article. society influences what people think is acceptable and what is not.
- Analyzes how the article gave specific insights of the statistics of interracial partnering in the united states.
- Analyzes romano's book, intercultural marriage: promises and pitfall, which outlines the pros and cons of being in a distinct relationship.
- Analyzes how romano coined the term life-pattern phase to explain the basic pattern in which a relationship becomes fixed—for better or for worse.
- Explains romano's book confronts the major issues and pitfalls of interracial relationships. she gathers information from hundreds of couples she has interviewed and personal experience of being in an intercultural marriage for almost 30 years.
- Analyzes how romano doesn't care about the statistics behind interracial relationships, only states that it has increased. the article by lewis and ford-robertson had specifics of which races were intertwining and at what rates.
870 wordsRead More - Interracial Relationshipsargumentative essayInterracial relationships have always been a taboo subject. It wasn’t that long ago when interracial relationships were once forbidden. It is now almost 2014, where one can now legally enter a relationship with another of a different race, yet people still whisper behind their hands when they see two people in an interracial relationship. Not only is it now legal, but interracial relationships are also on the rise. A reporter from CNN did a study of interracial marriages in 1980 and 2008; results show that interracial marriages have soared from 6.8% to 14.6% (Chen). Interracial marriages are beginning to be more common, yet are still frowned upon. Though I mention relationships previously as intimate relationships, relationships can also include friendships, and though interracial friendships are not as taboo as intimate relationships, it is still just as uncommon, unless one finds themselves lucky enough to live in a diverse setting.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that interracial relationships are now legal and on the rise. they aren't as taboo as intimate relationships, but friendships are common.
- Explains that they will explore how social factors affect attitudes toward interracial relationships. relationships will be focused on primary relationships, which involves interactions with a focus on the feelings and welfare of the people involved.
- Explains that interracial friendships aren't as taboo as intimate relationships, but there are concerns that follow them. rude and herda did a study concerning the stability of same-race and cross-racially-related friendship with adolescents.
- Explains that cross-race friendships are uncommon, even within desegregated environments, and that an adolescent is 1.8 times more likely to form the same-racism friendship compared to one of the two.
- Explains that rude and herda only refer to two researches that have studied the stability of cross- and same-race friendships.
- Explains that the researchers plan to obtain data from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health to satisfy their research questions.
- Concludes that race is a continuing factor for structuring interpersonal relationships. rude and kedra believe there can be research in this arena and agree with allport’s hypothesis that cross-race friendships can lead to the elimination of racial prejudices.
- Explains that unlike adolescents, college students have created and adapted to their identity. friendships that occur during college are more likely to last longer than those that occurred during adolescence.
- Explains that previous research has emphasized that enacting policies, such as the random assignment of roommates, can be a factor of interracial interaction on campuses. camargo et.
- Analyzes how race and the stability of adolescent friendships are correlated with best friends forevera.
1123 wordsRead More - Interracial Relationshipsanalytical essay“It is betrayal. Do they think they are too good for their own mothers and sisters?” My mother and grandmother always delivered this less-than-congratulatory retort at the sight of the recently married men in my family. All three of the men, between thirty and forty years of age, tied the knot to white women, a taboo practice in my “traditional” black household. This response encapsulates the general opinion of interracial marriage by many other black families across America. My opinion of interracial relationships, however, developed from isolated surroundings. As a black girl growing up in predominately white Stafford, Virginia, my love interests’ racial variety reached mediocre at best. I shared very few classes with boys of color, but the few ethnic males I knew hailed from all parts of the globe. My background both served and hindered my outlook on love. On the positive, I have no racial preference and truly value ethnic diversity. On the downside, I never realistically grasped society’s views of social-cultural and gender groups. I constantly questioned my elders. “What’s wrong with our cousins marrying white people? As long as they love each other and are happy, there should not be a problem.” They always shook their heads in disapproval, explaining that the problem never centered on love. My light bulb finally sparked when my mother clarified. “It is just hard to accept that not even the men of our own race want us.” Further research validated her claim. Black women are the least desirable group in America (Curry, 2010). Fact-based articles with unsettling titles such as “Blacks Struggle with 72 Percent Unwed Mothers Rate” and disheartening blogs written by single blacks looking for love, revealed the dire scope of my naï...
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the marriage gap between black women and non-black women should concern anyone who cares about america's status as a postracial nation and the eradication of racism.
- Analyzes how media engraves negative archetypes from socio-cultural groups into the minds of young members of society.
- Analyzes how their experiences in high school parallel ispa-landa's findings. white women symbolize the standardization of beauty, and media subconsciously preserve the aesthetic superiority of white women.
- Explains that black women's disadvantaged position in the dating market and marriage gap is due to the limited availability of compatible black men.
- Explains that limited availability of compatible black men causes a marriage gap because black women decide to have children out of wedlock.
- Opines that cultural differences cause the marriage gap between black women and women of other races because black culture seems, arguably, the most different from others.
- Opines that if black women open themselves up to men of other races, they will find more successful and sustainable relationships.
- Argues that economic and cultural stratification still exists in the nation, as demonstrated by the causes of the marriage gap between black women and other gender and ethnic groups.
- Cites banks, r. r, curry, g., ispa-landa, and washington, j.
1611 wordsRead More - Interracial Intimacy: The Regulation of Race and Romanceanalytical essayRegardless of our social rhetoric of color-blindness, when it comes to choosing a spouse we seem to be remarkably aware of color, at least we were legally for more than 200 years and despite legal permission, society still exacts a social opinion on the matter. Law professor Rachel Moran examines this issue in Interracial Intimacy: The Regulation of Race and Romance and argues that the promise of racial justice is tied to integrating our most personal relationships. It is not that interracial marriages will solve the race problem in the United States. However, Moran argues that the lack of them is an indication of the strength of the problem and that they are part of the solution. Although many think race does not matter to them, evidence of overwhelming prevalence of same-race marriage leads us to believe that it matters more than Americans are willing admit.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how rachel moran's interracial intimacy: the regulation of race and romance argues that the promise of racial justice is tied to integrating our most personal relationships.
- Analyzes how moran provides a history and context for antimiscegenation laws leading up to the landmark decision in loving v. virginia.
- Analyzes how moran identifies interracial intimacy as a crucial site for the creation and perpetuation of racial categories and hierarchies.
- Explains how antimiscegenation laws were used to curtail the private and political activities of asian immigrants.
- Analyzes how mixed-race identity became a convenient device for whites to manage relations with non-white populations.
- Analyzes how antimiscegenation dogma reasserted the propriety of same-race sex and marriage by criminalizing interracial relations.
- Analyzes moran's discussion in chapter five of the cases leading to the loving decision, which in turn raise normative and constitutional questions.
- Analyzes moran's analysis of the persistence of same-race marriage in loving v. virginia and argues that sexual stereotypes may be to blame.
- Analyzes how moran examines the vast majority of americans who do not choose interracial intimacy. their proffered explanation of "cultural compatibility"-shared values, background, experiences-is not persuasive.
- Opines that for loving's promise of marital freedom and racial equality to be realized, americans must confront how race has distorted social boundaries rather than retreat into the easy and unreflective innocence of romantic individualism.
- Analyzes how moran's book makes some broad and important claims about the relationship between the personal and the political, showing how romance and policy influence each other.
- Analyzes how the book is good, but contains two chapters that seem misplaced. in chapter seven, she discusses the politics and law of transracial adoptions, and concludes that courts should pursue the best interests of the child.
- Analyzes how moran concludes with cautionary words reiterating her argument that romantic relationships are key to breaking down racial hierarchy.
1519 wordsRead More - Interracial Relationshipsanalytical essayInterracial Relationships For centuries human beings have been on a quest for love. As time has passed, this search has lead to mixing of races and resulted in interracial relationships, both long-term couples and casual dating. An interracial relationship is defined by the Webster dictionary as intimacies between two people of different races. “I had no idea when I immigrated to the U.S in 1996, I would fall in love with a black girl,” said Dirk Schwartz. Immigration has boosted the number of interracial relationships by increasing the chances of meeting people from different culture and racial backgrounds.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that having a white girlfriend was not an issue for wilson, because he grew up in all white neighborhoods.
- Explains that interracial relationships have led to mixing of races and resulted in intimacies between two people of different races.
- Explains that wilson and lynn went to the same high school and were introduced by wilson's sister. the breakdown of segregation made it possible for relationships like theirs to exist.
- Explains that according to the u.s. census bureau, one out of every 20 marriages is interracial. there were to 246,000 blacks married to whites in this country last year.
- Explains that lynn's first interracial relationship with wilson is her third. she comes from a conservative family where the idea of dating anyone other than white guy was not acceptable.
- Explains that telephones and cell phones have improved interracial relationships, as they made talking across great distance possible.
- Analyzes the attitudes of college students toward interracial dating, done by robin m. elkthunder, a professor of psychology at the missouri western state college.
2008 wordsRead More - Interracial Americaanalytical essayLakshmi Chaundhry is a senior editor of AlterNet, an independent, alternative online news magazine. He thinks that people of different races falling in love, is a “luxury we can’t afford.”(158) Meanwhile, Andrew Sullivan a contributing writer for New York Times Magazine and senior editor of the New Republic thinks that interracial marriages break barriers and make people happier which in turn makes them more successful. Sullivan thinks, “If the rate of inter-racial marriages increases, the next generation may well not identify as ‘black’ or ‘white’ at all.”(158)
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how lakshmi chaundhry thinks that people of different races falling in love, is a "luxury we can't afford." andrew sullivan believes that interracial marriages break barriers and make people happier.
- Analyzes how chaundry suggests that people of color should be discouraged from entering interracial romantic relationships. he states that it's a "racial hierarchy."
- Explains that asian women have a better chance at getting some white booty. this is called cultural leverage. the asian man is limited to very few choices.
- Analyzes how chaundhry grew up in india and was judged by a white person for her marriage.
- Analyzes sullivan's argument that interracial marriages are increasing the "economic and social progress" of "black women."
- Explains that interracial marriages were not accepted in tennessee. they went on to the education systems.
- Analyzes how sullivan infers that happy relationships make people more successful in all aspects of life.
- Explains that sullivan and chaudhry agree with people being together, but chaundry feels that some people will be left out the loop.
982 wordsRead More - Interracial and Cross Cultural Dating of Generation Yopinionated essayInterracial romance has been an issue in the United States since the first English settlers established colonies during the seventeenth century. Over the years, views toward interracial relationships in America have changed greatly. The interracial dating trend among today’s teenagers is increasing at a steady rate (Grapes 49). However, there are still many biases facing Gen-Y youth who choose to date someone of another race. A look at the history of interracial romance in the United States will shed light on today’s attitudes.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that interracial romance has been an issue in the united states since the first english settlers established colonies during the seventeenth century. however, there are still biases facing gen-y youth who choose to date someone of another race
- Explains that maryland banned interracial relationships between whites and slaves in the 1600s, and other states followed, instituting anti-miscegenation laws.
- Explains that even where interracial relationships weren’t outlawed, mixed couples could face serious consequences within their community.
- Explains that many social scientists in the past focused on the supposed pathological aspects of the interracial relationship and assumed that anyone involved in such a relationship must be "disturbed."
- Analyzes how loving v. virginia cleared all legal barriers to interracial marriages and relationships, but many people weren't willing to accept them.
- Opines that interracial dating is a non-issue for generation y, as americans struggle with racially charged issues from affirmative action to immigration.
- Explains that according to a 1997 usa today/gallup poll of teenagers across the country, 57% who go out on dates say they’ve been out with someone of another race or ethnic group.
- Explains that the heavy immigration of hispanics and asians has increased chances of meeting people from other racial and ethnic groups, so interracial dating has become more common.
- Explains that 62% of parents of teens say they would be "totally fine" if their children dated interracially. reynolds farley of new york's russel sage foundation says this does not surprise him.
- Explains that gen-y parents are generally accepting of interracial relationships, and are thrilled when their teenager meets someone they care about.
- Explains that some families may be hesitant of an interracial relationship at first, but will come to accept it when they see how serious the children are about the relationship.
- Analyzes how some families have mixed feelings when it comes to interracial relationships. some parents expect that their children will follow the dating models that they have set out.
- Opines that negative reactions to interracial dating on the part of some parents may seem controlling and insensitive.
- Explains that parents, like kids, seek peer approval. they feel pressure to have kids live right, go to the right school, date right and eventually marry right. this could be the first in a series of escalating questions.
- Explains that there can be severe family friction when a child insists on an interracial relationship with someone from another race. some parents may do everything possible to end the relationship.
- Recommends that the teenager bring the date home with a group of friends, and let the family get to know the person. getting parents to really become acquainted with the new boy/girlfriend before passing judgment is the key.
- Concludes that studies prove that racial barriers are actually coming down as students test interracial relationships for themselves. increased individualism, tolerance for diversity, and greater minority enrollment in colleges and universities have resulted in more approving attitudes of college students toward
- Explains that gregory clark of louisiana college believes that people should use the content of one's character to find a date. rejection on the basis of race is an unfair practice that deprives us of opportunity to explore the personalities of people of other races.
- Explains that some students still don't believe crossing racial lines is a good idea. they consider people involved in an interracial relationship to be selling out, or trying to achieve higher social status by dating someone different.
- Opines that interracial dating creates societal ripples in a way that others don't. the targeted couple has to deal with the normal stresses of dating and confront the results of challenging what much of society dictates as ‘normal’ and ‘right.
- Explains that most young adults claim physical attraction is the main reason they date interracially. we all have internalized beliefs about beauty and who is attractive.
- Explains that many teens date interracially simply for the attention factor alone. many teens are curious about others and try dating individuals of different races for themselves.
- Explains that although surveys show overwhelming acceptance of the practice of dating interracially, 43% of teens who date still haven't dated, and 13% say they never would.
- Explains that many people are afraid of what others may think or say. they may not accept interracial dating due to a desire to maintain solidarity within an ethnic community.
- Explains that american's views of dating interracially have changed drastically through the decades. generation y may be the first generation to grow up without heavy-hearted feelings about race relations of their predecessors.
- Cites bode, janet, gibson, valerie, and ha, christine. interracial relationships: yes or no?
- Cites knox, david, kohn, howard, and landau, elaine. from black to biracial: transforming racial identity among americans.
- Explains mclemore and romo's racial and ethnic relations in america, 5th ed. new jersey: prentice hall, 2000.
- Cites rothman, robert, shipler, david, thomas, richard, and zook, s.f.
2713 wordsRead More - Interracial Couple: Article Commentaryanalytical essayIn the article Black and White and Married in the Deep South: A Shifting Image, author Susan Saulny discusses interracial relationships in the south. She talks about how for the longest time, relationships between two people of different color were seen as taboo and were illegal. Now that segregation has ended, more people are crossing the color line for love. Though marriage between a blacks and whites is no longer illegal, in most southern states it is frowned upon. Saulny states, “For generations here in the deepest South, there had been a great taboo: publicly crossing the color line for love. Less than 45 years ago, marriage between blacks and whites was illegal, and it has been frowned upon for much of the time since.” (Saulny, pp 1). Interracial couples were virtually non-existent before the Civil Rights era. After segregation ended, more people started to cross the color line and enter into relationships with people of other colors.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes susan saulny's article black and white and married in the deep south: a shifting image.
- Analyzes how interracial relationships cause tension among families of those in the relationship. the deep south is known for its racial discrimination.
- Analyzes how the mixed-race population is growing faster than demographers had estimated, especially in the south and parts of the midwest.
- Quotes felicia lee's article pushing boundaries, mixed-race artists gain notice, which discusses the emergence of mixed-race individuals into the art scenes of america.
- Analyzes how durrow's novel, "the girl who fell from the sky," landed on best-seller lists after four dozen rejections. both lee and saulny discuss how mixed race people are becoming better known in the arts.
- Concludes that lee and saulny examine what life was like for people of color when there was segregation. norwood and his father were misguided about how the times had changed and how interracial couples are accepted as cocial norms.
- Describes saulny, s. black and white and married in the deep south: a shifting image.
1180 wordsRead More - Colorblind Loveexplanatory essay“Racial Patterns Across the United States,” Society, Nov./Dec. 2001; United States Census Bureau, "Interracial Married Couples", 12 Jun 2003,
In this essay, the author
- Describes their relationship with aretha and their one-year-old baby girl as a classic high school sweetheart romance, but many people see them as two entirely different types of people who do not belong together.
- Opines that interracial relationships are based on physical attraction and exotic sexual desires, lacking real love.
- Explains why interracial marriages account for only 2.9 percent of all american married couples.
- Explains that love, shared vision, and common values compel an interracial couple to marry, just as do other couples.
- Opines that interracial marriages alone cannot solve all problems dealing with race relations, but maria root's article says that couples like aretha and i help to challenge stereotypes daily.
- Cites regan good, "questions for randall kennedy: color dynamics," new york times magazine, and "racial patterns across the united states," society, nov./dec. 2001.
2634 wordsRead More - A Closer Look at Sociological Theoriesanalytical essayBurton, Linda M et al. “Critical Race Theories, Colorism, and the Decade’s Research on Families of Color.” Journal of Marriage & Family 72 (2010): 440–459.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that cultural theories provide a model of influence through which culture exerts on social life and social structures. this writing focuses on sociological theories in the cultural setting of jena in louisiana.
- Explains that structural, functional, social conflict, and symbolic interaction theories expose various aspects of society. they are used to assess values and norms in louisiana community that need to be instilled to bring about attitude change in color bias.
- Analyzes how social conflict theory sees the society as an arena, where race, class, power, education, and prestige are interrelated.
- Analyzes the structure of the structural, functional theory, which asserts that values must be used if society is to be the strength bringing it together.
- Analyzes how symbolic interaction theory advocates for symbolism in the daily interaction of humans.
- States burton, linda m, and arian campo-flores' article, critical race theories, colorism and the decade's research on families of color.
1451 wordsRead More