Issues in European Interracial Dating That Have to Be Addressed Posted by Admin

Interracial dating is a fairly common thing, right? After all we’ve outgrown all the prejudice and racism of the 1960s. Racist groups and people tend to keep to themselves while a more tolerant majority generation voices their diverse opinions.

Well yes…and no. While it’s true we’ve made tremendous progress in the last 20 years, some prejudices remain, even in the mainstream. Some of these attitudes may be spread by hate groups or controversial political figures. But then again, there are also more subtle racist attitudes.

You may wonder what does my country think of racism now?

A recent article in MNIAlive suggested that interracial dating is / was more of a scandal in the UK than in the United States, because the media depiction of black culture hasn’t been entirely positive. Some families (or interracial couples) have been shown as disadvantaged, or dysfunctional, in contrast to “normal” same race relationships, or at least that’s what the author has observed.

The author also writes that the United States media has recently shown more favourable depictions of black and other minority families on TV and in movies; in positions of power, with happy families, and married happily to interracial partners. The author suggests that black-owned media organisations in the U.S., may be partly to credit, with channels like BET, Ebony and Essence, whereas UK media may not benefit from the same influence.

In closing, the article suggested that multiculturalism is more accepted now in the UK than in past years because people simply have had more time to learn, tolerate and accept differences. While the MNI Alive article was surprising, a recent article at the Irish Times was even more controversial, since it suggested that within Ireland, a sense of Patriarchy (as in Irish men owning Irish women) still exists and it may perpetuate subtle or even overt feelings of racism.

The easy answer is, of course, that there is no universal feeling of how a country feels about racism. As individuals, as lovers of freewill and fairness, we must become more enlightened. We must not only “tolerate” interracial dating and marriage (which yes, does include sexual experimentation), but must encourage other people to follow their heart and date whomever they want.

Remember that there are degrees of racism. Some views are strong and blatantly offensive, while others are more annoying and stereotyping. However, it serves no purpose to get offended and cut off family members of friends for making a mistake. Instead, take the opportunity to teach others why stereotypes are wrong and why people believe them. A little negotiation and patience can go a long way in perpetuating more positive relations with all our friends and neighbours.

You have a great opportunity right now to go and find an attractive partner, of any race or ethnicity you want, and see what happens. You can use an app and search locally or even do a more niche-oriented search, with keywords or shared mutual interests. The whole world awaits you so start reaching out to others and see what you find.