With close to two million interracial marriages in the United States, it is apparent that people are not letting the differences in culture hold them back from falling in love. These proportions are on the rise and are attracting a lot of attention from social scientists, marketers and politicians. Determining the reasons for the escalating trends of multicultural relationships will help to better predict the social structure of the future.
Although multicultural couples still encounter racism and prejudice in today's modern world, things are much better than they once were. Before the legalization of interracial marriage in 1967, blacks and whites could not legally wed and mixed race children were considered abominations. Over the past forty years, the social response to the legalization of multiracial relationships has been a tenfold increase in multicultural marriages. Much of the public obviously approved of this change.
The increase in immigration has also been a significant factor in the escalating trend of multicultural relationships. Increasing rates of immigration result in growing populations of minorities within many large cities, offering a whole new spectrum to the selection process of dating. Immigration allows for a healthy racial mix to occur in many communities, resulting in a social desensitization to ethnic and cultural differences and an increased approval of mixed race relationships. Many people find the physical characteristics of different races attractive. Thus, the escalating social approval of mixed race relationships is helping to break down the social barriers that prevented many relationships from forming.
The media has promoted multicultural relationships via the power of role models. Celebrities, such as Tiger Woods and Mariah Carey (products of mixed race relationships) are popular role models that support the beauty and talent of multiracial people. Movies are also contributing to the social acceptance of multicultural relationships. "Jungle Fever" and "Guess Who?" are trendy movies that demonstrate the humorous side of interracial dating. While the films do poke fun at cultural differences, they effectively show that interracial dating is okay.
In order to maintain the successful acceptance of multicultural relationships, society should heighten its awareness of racial stereotypes and discrimination. The more aware people become of racial injustices, the less likely they will be to believe them. It is certain that multicultural relationships will continue to increase in number given that multiracial couples produce mixed race children. Due to their ethnic complexity, there is a very good chance that mixed race children will in turn marry someone of a different cultural background. Thanks to changes in society, multicultural relationships will endure.