Interracial Marriage Research Paper

In the 1600s, Maryland banned interracial relationships between whites and slaves due to the questions over whether the offspring would be

To see a black man and a white woman walking down the street holding hands used to be unheard of. It was a relationship that, for the few who engaged in it, was kept as quiet as possible. During the fifties and sixties, interracial dating was not socially acceptable and there were repercussions for those who were involved in such behaviors because various laws, such as the Jim Crow laws, which kept the different races/ethnicities separate and it was seen as extremely socially deviant to go against these rules. Between

In the past if an interracial couple walked into a restaurant, the place would be filled with a cold stare. The people of this restaurant would not care that this couple might be deeply in love, all they would see in this moment was color. This allows one to question whether or not race and religion matter when considering a potential spouse. Although this is debatable, race and religion should not matter because of the wide acceptance of interracial marriage in today's society and the ability people have to change their religion.

Interracial marriage also known as mixed marriage, miscegenation, exogamy, and multiracial, is a marriage between members of different races. It was just 44 years ago that interracial marriage was made fully legal throughout the United States, and it is becoming more common for members to marry outside of ones’ own race. The growth of interracial marriages in the United States corresponds with changes in the legal status of interracial marriages and what some would consider, little, but some changing of arrogance among Americans towards persons in interracial relationships. “Recent increases in interracial unions with Whites presumably reflect positive changes in American race relations as well as the blurring of racial boundaries and

Traditionally, people have believed that when a person marries outside of their race, they do so as a way to escape from their race, culture, or traditional beliefs. In contrast, popular culture theorizes that interracial marriages are motivated not by a desire to leave behind one’s heritage, but by love between two people who happen to be of different races. In this paper, I seek to analyze and compare these two perspectives, proposing a theory that combines the two by accounting for a person’s upbringing and beliefs when deciding what their motivation may be. I first analyze the traditional belief of interracial marriage in comparison to the popular culture belief and present my theory combining the two. I then analyze the effect of dominant versus nondominant culture on motivations, and use examples from popular culture to look at the effect a person’s culture and upbringing can have their motivations for marriage. Lastly, I explain how my perspective will affect the way I live my life.

In 1958, an interracial couple living in Virginia was arrested after getting married. This started the Supreme Court Case - Loving v. Virginia, which took place in 1967. At that time, interracial marriage was illegal in some states, one of those states being Virginia. In the 1950s, there was a lot of conflict going on. For an example, the civil rights movement was growing, and the campaign against communism revealed the hidden divisions in American society. A group of Americans that is continually growing spoke out against inequality and injustice during the 1950s. African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; during the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life. (History, The 1950s) Although they weren’t very common, they were definitely frowned upon by society. The Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court Case changed people’s views on interracial marriage, helped it become legal in every state, and shaped the American culture of today.

Interracial dating has been considered as unacceptable, and as times has passed, numerous of people have come to accept the relationships of people with

Likewise, the rules regarding interracial marriages stemmed from slavery as well. The book, Virginia Hasn't Always Been for Lovers: Interracial Marriage Bans and the Case of Richard and Mildred Loving, discusses the landmark legal case Loving v Virginia. As a bit of history, the book says, “In the 1600s… to ensure that the line between master and slave would be indelible, the colonists enacted a number of laws. Not least among them were the regulations that prohibited interracial marriage” (Newbeck, 23). So, the laws that were put into place regarding interracial marriages were enacted in order to maintain the power dynamic between black and white people. There was no other logical reason why the ban was in place, other than to continue to oppress the black community and keep them from attaining power and status within the

Before the civil war many Americans, chiefly white southern tried to make interracial relationships invisible. Laws were in placed to hinder such relationship, laws like anti- miscegenation or miscegenation laws. This law restricted interracial relationships, making it illegal for marriage and/ or being intimate. In the novel “ The Cold Mountain” Inman encounters a white young male Odell in search of his love Lucinda a black slave. This type of relationship was frown upon for a long time in history, even post-civil war. Many fought for the relationships aforementioned. Interracial relationship were not legal fully in every U.S state until 1967,

Data gathered by Source D, the U.S Census Bureau, suggests that interracial couples have met an extreme rise – 667% more since 1970. It is not just a dramatic rise for the current society; Puritans greatly discouraged such marriages. Marriage values of today are a great contrast to the values of the past – even as little as thirty years back. As observed by Tom Jacobs in Source C, “Given the quick-money ethos of Wall-Street, the hook-up culture of college students and the vast pornography industry, it seems clear that the strict moral code – pro-hard-work, anti-promiscuous sex – is, for better or worse, behind us.” All moral codes and beliefs of the Puritans have been abandoned and left far behind for the leniency the present allows. This supports the theory posed within Source A, that “there was very much the same solemnity of demeanor on the part of the spectators; as befitted a people amongst whom a religion and law were almost identical, and in whose character both were so thoroughly interfused, that the mildest and severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful.” Due the change in values, the consequences have been abandoned. Severity is not associated with acts that invalidate the Puritan ‘code of conduct’. The building blocks that made up the Puritan lifestyle have long

Lewis and Ford begin by pointing out the Civil Rights movement that began in the 1960’s which acted as a jumpstart to the more diverse institution that we now know today. The article conveys that although there is a significant difference between interracial marriage and interracial dating – there has been a tremendous increase in both in the past several decades. A study and chart done by the U.S Census Bureau in 2004 shows, that there was a 26% increase of White/Other marriages from the 1980’s to the 1990’s; where in the 1990’s to the 2000’s there was a significant 72% increase. The chart also shows a drop in interracial marriages where Black/White marriages from the 1980’s to the 1990’s was 38% to a smaller 31% from the 1990’s to the 2000’s. The chart seems to show a significant trend in dating habits over the last few years, which is something that I was not expecting to see.

When our nation was divided because of skin color, dating someone who was not of the same complexion was seen as a criminal act. Interracial relationships between white Americans and African Americans, when slavery was still legal, was seen as taboo, and many attempted to prevent them from occurring. Laws were passed prohibiting personal relationships between the two cultures, which many paid little attention to. Relationships between white men and enslaved women, and black men and white women affected them in numerous ways. The power dynamic in the south was a key element in the treatment the enslaved partners received, and the legal repercussions affected both white and black greatly. Fay Yarbrough paints a picture in her article, “Power, Perception, And Interracial Sex: Former Slaves Recall A Multiracial South”, that shows how white males and females used the legal power they possessed to have the upper hand on their colored partners. She explains that while many free whites and their enslaved companions had consensual relationships, slaves ultimately had no choice; at the end of the day, they were legally considered to be property and had to do what their masters asked. Jason A. Gillmer, author of “Base Wretches and Black Wenches: A Story of Sex and Race, Violence and Compassion, During Slavery Times”, describes how even though interracial relationships were frowned

Marriages between African Americans and whites were prohibited by sixteen states, including Virginia, until the revolutionary United States supreme court case of Loving v. Virginia. Gunnar Myrdal illustrates in his essay, “Social Equality,” how society, specifically white men, felt about white women being romantically involved with black men. Ralph Ellison in his short story “Battle Royal,” gives an example of how African American men felt around white women before intermarriage was permissible. Before the case of Loving v. Virginia, various influential African Americans were in intermarriages. Today, miscegenation and/or interracial marriages are not only tolerable, but accepted by most United States citizens.

In the year 2017 most people often do not think twice about the interracial couple they see walking down the street in their city’s neighborhood. However, Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving, who were legally married in 1958 in the District of Columbia, would be convicted in their home state of Virginia for violating the anti-miscegenation law or what is also known as Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924. According to Brendan Wolfe a contributor for the Encyclopedia Virginia, the anti-miscegenation law was enacted to prevent the “negative effects of race-mixing,” specifically between the white and black races. Years later in 1967 Jeter and Loving would present their case to the Supreme Court of The United States to legalize their marriage in the state of Virginia.

Some might argue that interracial marriages are corruptions of culture. In the ruling of Loving V Virginia the judge of the Circuit Court of Caroline County stated his opinion at the court, “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangements there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the faces shows that he did not intent for the races to mix.” However, I believe we are all created equally therefore have every right to choose who you want to marry, have kids with and spend the rest of your life with. In our society people believe that the idea of interracial marriages is calamitous. People can find it strenuous to live with different cultures who have many different preferences. If we look deeper into this controversy issue, the only reason is a different outlook on life. And no matter what race people are, because if they truly love each other, they will have one compromising outlook.