The Rise in Interracial Marriage: What It Means for America

There was a recent study that surveyed the number of interracial marriages in the United States. Not surprisingly the numbers of interracial marriages have increased dramatically. According to the data 13% of new marriages are between people of opposite races. This trend seems to be increasing across all racial lines, even amongst racial groups that historically have been more hesitant than others to marry outside of their race. On its own this is great. Looking at the much bigger picture is crucial.

Amazingly it has not been that long since interracial marriage was illegal in the United States. Miscegenation laws as they were called many years ago were in place in parts of the United States until 1967. Before then it was illegal to be in an interracial marriage and often times people were thrown in jail or forced to move to places where it was legal. In just 43 years things have changed quite a bit.

Interracial marriages still have quite a huge level of taboo. Even though many more people are deciding to date and marry outside of their race, there is still some discomfort to many people, especially in certain communities. The burden that interracial couples must face should not be lost by their increase in presence.

At the end of the day the rise in interracial couples directly shows the rise in acceptance of people of different cultures. Every single person that decides to enter an interracial relationship, or decides to accept others for being in one is making a direct statement about what they hope diversity should be like in America. It is only through acts like these are we ever going to be able to begin to break the racial and cultural divide that exists to this day.

I believe that the rise of interracial marriages is one of the most important sociological developments in the past 40 plus years. The benefit of interracial marriage is that it creates broadening of people's viewpoints, accepting of different cultures and also intermingling in different areas. But by no means is it an easy go for anyone involved. But in the long run the benefits definitely outweigh the hardships.

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