TRADITIONAL & POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Traditionally, people who have married outside their race are frowned upon and labelled as traitors who do not want to be associated with their community. They are said to despise themselves so much that they chose to leave behind their entire identity in search of a new one. On the contrary, popular culture openly accepts and praises interracial marriages stating that it is proof that love can unite people from different backgrounds. Rather than stating that interracial marriages are a means of escape from one’s native culture, popular culture projects it as essential to accepting and understanding different cultures, thus promoting unity. However, it is important to understand that a combination of cultural beliefs and upbringing are what influence a person’s decisions on marriage regardless of the community standing. Comparing and contrasting both viewpoints enhances the understanding of the beliefs and the effects of culture and upbringing on motivations for marriage.
“Traditional cultures’ reasons are majorly based on biblical passages or on internal moral considerations that they believe can only be satisfied by members of the same community”1. Also, nationalistic ethnic or social pride hinders interracial marriages as communities feel superior to others or acknowledge and despise the fact that other communities consider their cultural practices inferior and strange. Marrying into another culture indicates that you are willingly welcoming scorn from other communities who do not accept your culture, or you are stooping towards an inferior community’s standards which is not acceptable traditionally. To date, various communities insist on such beliefs, for example, “Africans who marry Americans are said to be further eroding their culture as an American is not expected to assimilate into their culture”2. Children brought up according to traditional beliefs are made to believe that no one outside their culture can uphold it and that it is their task to ensure their community values are protected.
On the other hand, popular culture embraces that while love is greater than differences in customs and cultural backgrounds, people getting married have to make conscious choices to accept and understand their partner’s values for the marriage to work. Also, according to the culture, intermarriages have more benefits as opposed to traditional belief, such as reducing racial conflicts and promoting unity. In today’s world, children are raised in regions where they interact with people from different races and ethnicities. From a young age, they can understand the concept of different backgrounds and learn how to live with other people effectively. They further “acquire unique values and beliefs from interacting which each other”3 which also forms the basis of interracial marriage; people who use their distinct cultural backgrounds as the foundation for love rather than hate.
By analyzing both perspectives, I concur with popular culture beliefs that interracial marriages are not because one wants to escape their identity but rather is out of love, and also promotes the growth of one’s identity. The beliefs applicable in our world today as an increasing number of people are marrying outside of their race without the discrimination that it brought about previously. This perspective impacts my life as an avid supporter of interracial marriages. I am open to dating people from different races, and I plan to raise my children to be open towards new cultures and ethnicities because I also owe my readiness to learn about other races to my upbringing.
Bibliography
O’Hearn, Claudine C. 2008. Half and Half. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Pew Research Center. 2012. “Chapter 4: Public Attitudes on Intermarriage.” Pew Social Trends.
Stritof, Sheri. 2020. “Challenges of an Interracial Marriage From Society.” Very Well Mind.
Weaver, Donna. 2014. “Pop culture: Interracial Marriage ‘No Big Deal,’ Reality is More Harsh.” Press of Atlantic City.