Trends In Black/White Intermarriage Analysis

Is the thought on interracial marriage changing? Interracial marriage , some welcome it and others hate it. The thought of loving another human being is precious, but a human being of a different race is something people can’t seem to understand . Marriage has been happening for centuries and during this time, no one ever thought of interracial marriage . Intermarriage during slavery never really happened because slaves weren’t even allowed to get married to each other nor was it ever recognized if they had gotten married . Slave women (usually of African American decent) were usually raped or often times known as a concubine, which often led to a “mulatto” child being born (Kalmijn). In 1863 Anti-miscegenation became a law in the United
States that meant that, African Americans and Caucasians could not marry or engage in sexual relations with each other. The law was “abolished in 1967 by the U.S Supreme court in the case of Loving V. Virginia” (Rosenbury). Although, the law has been abolished for almost 50 years society still finds it hard to accept interracial relationships . The author’s included in the essay have opposing arguments about interracial marriage and the believed different direction its heading . In “Trends in black/white intermarriage” by Matthijs, Kalmijn, the author believes that interracial marriage has increased over the years, however the author from “Americans More Accepting of Interracial Couples and Marriages” by Dr. Elwood Watson, the author believes that Americans are becoming more accepting of interracial relationships. The writer of “The Canary report: racial poison in New York” by Peter Feuerhard, speaks on his interracial marriage and explains how his experience changed his views. In “Marital status and privilege” by Laura Rosenbury, the author speaks on how the author believes that marriage is decreasing. In “The Canary report: racial poison in New York” a Caucasian author speaks on his experience of racism while trying to find an apartment for his African American wife and mixed raced children. The family has had a hard time searching for an apartment . They have been searching for three years with no luck. The author states “as a family we are poison to landlords and rental agents . We are frequently ruled out because most apartments, are not routinely rented to families with children… and then there is the race issue” (Peter Feuerhard). The family is dealing with a double negative first because they have kids and kids are known to destroy things and also with his family being African American no one wants to live around them . The author also speaks on the blatant racism he saw with his own eyes “ A black woman came to the door a potential tenant, was turned away by the landlady who loudly proclaimed, “no coloreds”” (Peter Feuerhard). Although, all money is green the landlady turned away from a woman because she was African American, something I am pretty sure she has no control over. In “Trends in Black/White intermarriage” the author believes that when there is a shift in racial attitudes, which can go up or down, the shift in interracial marriage would also go up or down.
The author proves this by stating, black/white intermarriage was a prominent indicator of race relations” (Matthijs, Kalmijn). The author status that most people have “interpreted interracial marriage as status” (Matthijs, Kalmijn). The author believes that interracial marriage has grown because it is seen as a higher status. For example, when an African American men marries a Caucasian woman, it seems prestigious. “Interracial marriage has increased rapidly since the late 1960’s” (Matthijs,
Kalmijn). In “marital status and privilege” the author speaks on how interracial relationships have to go through I hard time. The author states that, “monoracial marriages has an unearned privilege then couples who are interracial” (Laura Rosenbury). Interracial couples often get more discriminated against then same race couples. For that reason, the author continues to say that interracial marriage is decreasing. The author states, “Monoracial marriage signals “racial loyalty” not just among African American, but also among whites” (Laura Rosenbury). Some people prefer stay between same race, then to be interracial. “White men, at the top of both races and gender have more to lose from an interracial marriage than anyone else” (Laura Rosenbury). In “Americans More Accepting of Interracial Couples and Marriages” the author states, “50 years later after the historical Supreme Court Case of Loving V.
Virginia, attitudes toward interracial marriage, while still frowned upon in certain areas, have transformed dramatically” (Dr. Elwood Watson). The author also includes that, “public support for interracial marriage has grown steadily with each successive year” (Dr. Elwood Watson). The author believes that the younger people aged (18-29) are the key to interracial relationships becoming more accepting. The author believes that the northeast is more “racially progressive” (Dr. Elwood Watson), that is why all the younger people are moving more towards the northeast and western states, those states are more accepting and more conservative. The author suggests that, while intermarriage is still rare, attitudes of interracial marriage and interracial marriage in itself is still very much ongoing. In conclusion, although interracial relationships and marriage may not be 100 percent accepted at the moment, more people are starting to accept the realities of interracial dating. We are better off now than we were during the 1960’s and back. Hopefully later for the years to come more acceptance will be offered and people can live peacefully with the person they love free of racist remarks and
discrimination.

References
Watson, Elwood, Dr. "Americans More Accepting of Interracial Couples and Marriages." Diverse. N.p., 26 Jan . 2014 . Web. 19 Nov . 2016 .
Kalmijn, Matthijs. "Trends in Black/White Intermarriage." Social Forces 72 . 1 (1993): 119 . Web .
Feuerhard, Pete. “The canary report: racial poison in New York.” Commmonweal, vol . 122, no . 19, 1995, p. 7.
Rosenbury, Laura A. “Marital status and privilege. “ Journal of Gender, Race and Justice, summer 2013, p. 769 + .