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When my parents found out about my engagement, I was a bit worried that it was the beginning of the end of their parental relationship with me. It was a tense moment.
My worries were unfounded, but that is not the case for any person who faces the opinions of others regarding interracial marriage. Families are not always accepting. Occasionally there is discomfort for the couple or the family, as people in the society at large make their unfavorable opinions known. But at least now, there is no federally-sanctioned discrimination against interracial unions.
In the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, the Court wrote that “the evil tendency of the crime [of adultery or fornication] is greater when committed between persons of the two races … producing a mongrel population and a degraded civilization” (Pace & Cox v. State, 1882).
The legislation made interracial marriage illegal until 1967 when Loving v. Virginia upheld the civil right of people of different racial backgrounds to marry and have families.
And marry they have. In the last 30 years, racially-integrated families have increased in number and acceptance in U.S. society. Latinos actually are one of the groups leading the multicultural, multiracial, multilingual revolution.
According to the Pew Research Center, in 2010, 26 percent of Latinos were married to someone of a different race. Only Asians, at 28 percent, were more apt to marry outside of their race.
The result of all these multicultural unions is truly a proverbial melting pot: the children of these unions are a fast-growing segment of U.S. society. According to projections by the Census Bureau, by the middle of the century, such children – along with other “minority” populations – will constitute a majority of the U.S. population.
We are extending our familias to include different traditions, different foods and different languages. It is a great enrichment to U.S. culture and society to have the blending of all of these flavors: a stew of a distinct American experience, seasoned with our own Latino multifaceted cultural diversities.
Of course, this blending is not unique. Mass migrations, invasions and environmental pressures have always produced a mixing of peoples. Our own roots – African, Native American, Taino, European, Asian – make us a testament to the constant ebb and flow of human DNA hybridization.
Not that it is a seamless process. The Pew Center’s study reported that of all marriages in the United States, only 8.4 percent were classified as interracial during the years examined. It is noteworthy that the figure is a significant jump when compared to 3.2 percent, the figure in 1980.
Clearly, families like mine are still a small fraction of the overall society. My children, for example, may still confront unique prejudices faced by people who are sometimes seen as straddling a racial line.
Latino culture is not free of racism and prejudice; nor are other groups. But as parents, we have the pivotal job of instilling pride and knowledge in our multicultural children, giving them the self-confidence to advance the cause of the human mutt revolution – ambassadors of a future U.S. society.
About Maitri Pamo
Congrats on the engagement! Interracial marriages and children are perhaps the most unique factor of Latin America and why women from the most racially diverse countries (Venezuela, PR, Brazil, Colombia) are so beautiful. Latin America has essentially become to the New World what the Mediterranean once was to the Old World, a region where race and ethnicity all mix to form something new and special.
everyone has the right to love who ever they want
IF FOLKS LOOK AT ME THE WRONG WAY AND WHEN I A PUERTO RICAN WOMAN IS ASKED WHAT RAISED IS YOUR HUSBAND AND I ANSWER HES DOMINICAN THEY PUT A FACE IMAGINE INTERRACIAL, PEOPLE SEEM TO JUDGE OTHERS BY ITS COVER INSTEAD OF OPENING THE BOOK AND READING IT, I MET THIS DOMINICAN MAN AND PEOPLES REACTION WAS OH OD DOMINICAN MENS PLAY YOU AND ARE DOGS, YEAH THEY ARE AND SO ARE BLACK MEN, PUERTO RICAN MEN WHITE MEN. I HAVE A HALF WHITE,HALF PUERTO RICAN FRENCH GRANDSON AND I WOULDNT TRADE HIM FOR THE WORLD, I ALSO HAD A HALF PUERTO RICAN BLACK GRANDAUGHTER AND EVEN THOUGH SHES IN HEAVEN SHE WAS MY LIFE. GOD MADE US ALL THE SAME EXCEPT WE ARE OLIVE COLOR SKIN, BLACK, MORENA, RUBIA, WHITE, ALL COLORS BUT WE BLEED THE SAME VCLOR RED AND WE ALL HAVE A HEART THAT BEATS INSIDE OF US AND HAS FEELINGS!!!!
I love white girls.
Some columbian chick who only.dates white males asked me if I.date white womenb, I said just because my they gentrify my neighborhood doesnt mean that there going to gentrify me !
*women
Love people for who they are not by the color of skin . Most South american women get with “whites” . And I.had many instances where they would get dissapointed when I tell them I am Puertorican , white hedgemony is evident in south american latinas who frown upon dating darker men . Im like fuck em , let the ignorant stay ignorant and Palante mi gente !
interracial dating its great!!! learn different cultures and appreciate your own!!!
and I prefer my brown or black!!!;)
We’re all mixed. Mestiza and proud.
There are millions of Latinos and Hispanics that are Caucasians and of white European heritage, even if their families settled in the Americas. Yet they unfairly get classified as “inter racial” when they lets say marry another Caucasian that is not Latino.
my mothers father is 2nd generation french born in mexico city,my grandma full Aztec. my fathers mom is full spaniard and my grandfathet(her husband) is 1/2 japanese 1/2 jewish ALL BORN IN MEXICO CITY. & i am married to a 1/2 caucasian1/2 african american man .. SO IN MY CASE .. LOVE IS VERY COLORED BLIND.
Should it even be a topic interracial dating? I mean race doesn’t even exist, what we define as race implies the differences between a house cat and a tiger, dog from a wolf etc… There is little to no biological difference between our “races.” Though good to see that we are progressing
26% and I am a product of a English/Peruvian marriage as my surname shows!!
oh lord
26%
Answer: un chingo y un monton!!
26 percent
“Brown: The Last Discovery Of America” – Richard Rodriguez
That would be 26%.
I married outside of our race. Don’t think it should matter. Being Puerto Rican, it’s a well known fact that we are a multiracial island and people. I’ve been blessed to have a family who didn’t care who I married as long as I’m happy. 26% is lower than I was expecting honestly, but in that sense I guess I could be considered naive.
Even within the Latino community there is problem with dating interacially among each other. Like I know my granparetns time it was a no no to date a black (Latino) man and black latina women were encouraged to marry a white (latino) or another latino of a ligher shade.
Interracial is an oxymoron when one considers Latinos are a conglomerate of various ethnic/racial groups. With all due respect, there is no Latino race i.e. two white Europeans move to Uruguay and have children, those children move to the U.S. Does that make them non-white? Non-Latino? And the conundrum of identity and labelling continues to suit census statistics. Just some food for thought. Have a brilliant day everyone.
26%
26%
Un veintiseis porciento! or a twenty six percent! ….happiness dont recognize race! La felicidad no reconoce razas!
26%
Very good, thank you all for your responses.
26%! I am Puerto Rican. My wife is serbian. After 16 years of marriage 4 children later we are still dealing with the ugly face of prejiduce towards our existance. In particularly from her family. The sad part of it all that the children are not acknowledged. It has been difficult at times but love has conquered and allowed us to persevere.
26%. But as Aldo pointed out, Latino is not a race. As a Spanish teacher, it’s one the cultural issues I am constantly addressing with my students. Latinos are already multi racial.
Married to a white Florida girl. When her Dad first saw me, the look was something akin to “well as least he’s not black” type of look. Now he doesn’t care what race I am as long as I treat his daughter right. Oh, and 2 grandkids help.