Interracial marriages at an all-time high, study says

[Ed Barrow]

Source: CNN

Apparently, race is mattering less these days, say researchers at the Pew Research Center, who report that nearly one out of seven new marriages in the U.S. is interracial or interethnic. The report released Friday, which interviewed couples married for less than a year, found racial lines are blurring as more people choose to marry outside their race.

"From what we can tell, this is the highest it has ever been," said Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer for the Pew Research Center.

He said interracial marriages have soared since the 1980s. About 6.8 percent of newly married couples reported marrying outside their race or ethnicity in 1980. That figure jumped to about 14.6 percent in the Pew report released this week, which surveyed newlyweds in 2008.

...

studies show that support for interracial marriages is stronger than in the past, especially among the Millennial generation. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, about 85 percent accept interracial marriages, according to a Pew study published in February. Scholars say interracial marriages are important to examine because they can be a barometer for race relations and cultural assimilation.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/06/04/pew.interracial.marriage/?hpt=C2

[defendandprotect]

1. Think it's good news . . . the real human family coming together ...

and you marry the people you meet --

[David Zephyr]

2. Good!

They make the best babies.

[MellowDem]

32. Wow....

what a great way to totally contradict the spirit of the OP's story.

Here's a clue. Just because mixed race babies have been shunned by all races in the past doesn't mean that you have to go all the other way and hold them to some sort of "super-race" standard. You're just continuing the same shit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. And there's a boost in Klan membership too

[EFerrari]

18. Those sites sell buttons that say, "Visualize 2040".

Too late, mofos!

lol

[SKKY]

28. I don't get it.

:shrug:

[pampango]

36. 2040 is the projected date for when the US becomes a majority minority country. n/t

[shirleym]

4. Good news for the long run. nt

[kestrel91316]

5. If we blenderized the human race, this world would be a much better place.

[JanusAscending]

13. Please give me the honor of making this announcement.....

We are ALL, already blended!!! Just some more than others. I have "white skin" and........I have Native American Ancestry, as well as the Scot/Irish, French and Italian thing going on. A VERY large percentage of African Americans also have the same bloodlines as I do!!! If we all don't learn to look beyond what is on the outside, and care what is within all of us (the human race) this world will never become a "better place".

[kestrel91316]

16. We're not blended enough to suit me. JMHO.

[JanusAscending]

17. We've a long way to go,

but in my 71 years here on earth, I've seen a huge change. Yes,...there is a lot farther to go. Keep this in mind, even if we were more "blended" we would still all be uniquely different and think differently. AKA Democratic Underground !!! LOL

[tavalon]

37. Yep, we even have neanderthal blood

Some seem to have more than others.............

While I joke, the part about the neanderthals has now been proven through DNA analysis.

[1Hippiechick]

39. Great post. looking forward to TAN only- the concern is about not being able to distinguish

the 'classes', imo. How will our society know whom to demean and treat less than human if skin tone is indistinguishable?

Edited to add: BTW, one of my grandfathers was a 'registered' Cherokee, and i descend from a plethora of other 'races'

[awoke_in_2003]

44. it will be based on social class...

of course, to a large part in this country, it is all about social class. They keep the other things (racial and political hatreds) alive to disquise the fact that it is all about money.

[awoke_in_2003]

43. a little better...

but we would still have religions to kill each other over.

[sakabatou]

6. I'll be one of those in an interracial marriage in the future.

[JanusAscending]

10. I'd been in one since 1964

until he passed over in 2002! Things were kind of rough back then, but it made us stronger! Good luck with your's. I have two brown skinned daughters that married caucasion men, and some very beautiful grand children too!!!

[sakabatou]

11. Cool

Mia and I have been together for over 3 years now. It'll be 3 years, 3 months come June 17th.

[JanusAscending]

15. If you have half of the joy and fullfilment

that my marriage gave me, you will be blessed! I wish you much love and years of happiness!

[sakabatou]

27. Thanks

[1Hippiechick]

40. My heart breaks to think what you endured in the 60s and for many years beyond. n/t

[JanusAscending]

42. It wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I think it was becaused of where we lived. In the Berkshires of Ma. where there is a very high degree of liberalism, especially in the artsy areas like we lived in (near Tanglewood and Lenox art colonies) In addition the "natives" were more apt to keep their hatred "veiled" and not "in your face" like some areas of the country. This was also the era of peace marches and Martin Luther King and JFK. We felt we had to work a little harder to set a good example for others. I think we succeeded. Our youngest daughter was the only black child in the whole school system in one small town we lived in! Another thing to keep in mind, famous people like Harry Belafonte, Nat King Cole's family (they owned a home in Tyringham Ma.) and Sydney Portier had children in Private schools in the area. My husband was a Chef in some of the best resorts and hotels in the area, and I always worked wherever he did until we started our family.

[The Doctor.]

7. As I tell the racists I encounter; "Mixing genes is like mixing light, not paint."

That's terribly oversimplified considering that race is a cultural concept with very little basis in biology, but it gets through to some of them... barely.

Once the "We'll all look the same" polemic issues from their blind yaps, I just tell them that and explain why. Most just look dumbfounded. Some argue. The rare gems say, "Does it really work that way?".

"Actually, yes; and here's why..."

[boppers]

9. Uhm, couldn't that backfire?

Doesn't it pander to the "white = superior" myth, because white light essentially already has the full visible spectrum?

Maybe I'm over-thinking this...

[The Doctor.]

24. No, you're not over-thinking it. Like I said; It's oversimplifying it.

The main point is to get them out of the stupid 'mud people' meme and get them thinking.

After that, if they perceive it as; "Oh, then we'll all be white again one day", then so be it. At least their fears have been abated.

[JanusAscending]

29. Sure...whatever!

I used to think that black was the dominant gene, but my youngest grandson has proved my theory WRONG!! He has blond curly hair and blue eyes and the same skin tone as his Daddy (white)while my daughter (brown) is more like her Dad than me!

[one_voice]

8. My parents were married...

35 years ago this August. They were together for 5 years before they got married. It wasn't easy for them or our family back then.


*my dad is technically my step dad, but since he raised I just refer to him as dad, cuz that's who he is.

[AmericaIsGreat]

12. Redneck right-wingers everywhere are going mad

Rights for gays? Interracial marriage? It's like a living hell for them, hahahaha.

[JanusAscending]

14. Yep...

It was OK for their white ancestors to rape their slaves and pro create, but God forbid it ever became legal!! Boy I'd love to be a fly on the wall when they all meet their Creator. If ya don't believe in a Creator...no skin off my butt, ...but I sure hope their is. There NEEDS to be justice somewhere, if we can't find it here in this life!:shrug:

[daleo]

19. It's a common trend in Canada too

Statistics Canada recently had a report on the subject.

Now, if these marriages could also reduce and eliminate the differences among people caused by the absurdities of dogmatic religious belief...

[The2ndWheel]

20. It matters less for some

For the rats in the maze, it matters less. For those conducting the experiment, it's a very important barometer.

[proteus_lives]

21. Good, it doesn't matter for people in love.

I've never understood why people who refuse to date outside their race. I'm met white, black, indian, arab and asians who have said such things and I always shake my head.

The most serious relationship in my life was with a woman who was half-German, half-Filipino.

If I meet the gal for me, I couldn't care less if her skin was green, as long as she's a good person.

[BolivarianHero]

22. My most serious relationship...

Dad from Egypt, Mom from Trinidad ... 1/4 Lebanese, 1/4 Greek, 1/4 Indian, 1/4 Chinese. Gorgeous woman. People thought she looked Hawaiian.

[proteus_lives]

23. Many people don't think I'm white.

My father's family has a heavy dose of Rom blood from way back. It showed up in my sister and I.

I've been asked if I'm Italian, Turkish, Jordanian, Israeli, Greek and several others.

My former lady was gorgeous too. Filipino nose with German chin and tall and curvy, olive skin and jet-black hair. Ahh, memories.

[FrenchieCat]

25. Back in the day, my Mom and Dad being together was very rare.....

back in the late 1950s. I'm 1/2 White and 1/2 Black.
I married an African American who looks like he's from India.
Our daughter, who is georgeous, exactly 2 years ago at age 20,
married the most handsome Bostonian who's exactly half Italian and Half Irish.
They both graduated from Harvard, so them getting married young
was ok with me! :)

But what is actually most unusual about them as a couple,
and what makes people take a double take when they are out together,
is that he is 6'4 and she is 5'3!

I'm looking forward to some pretty grandbabies! :bounce:

[JanusAscending]

30. They will be beautiful Frenchie!!!

Just be sure that your daughter has excellant care during her pregnancy! My daughter's husband is even taller and her son weighed 10+ lbs at birth, and had to be delivered early by C section!! My poor daughter was about to bust!! She used to be tiny although a bit taller than yours!! He comes from a long line of big men, and now we call my almost 4 year old grandson "little man" His daddy calls him the "rhino" !!! Strangely he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him, just SOLID MASS!!

[JanusAscending]

45. P.S. dear Frenchie...

I remember having seen pics of your beautiful daughter last year I guess? You had her as your avitar for a while, right? I 'spose this was before her wedding. That's why I knew you would have beautiful grandchildren!!! (not just because "that's what some people say" ) as inferred earlier on this thread.

[davidpdx]

26. Interracial as well as more international marriages

I married a Korean 4 1/2 years ago.

[chill_wind]

31. My own son (white) and beloved D.I.L. (black) married 5 years.

America, it's 2010!

:toast:

[MellowDem]

33. Good news...

but something I have been expecting. That's a huge jump though. A doubling of the proportion of interracial marriage. Just shows were reaching the tipping point.

[fujiyama]

34. This is good news and a great indicator

of overall race relations and assimilation.

I've traveled throughout this country and demographic changes are more evident than ever. I've been to states which are not typically considered diverse (like say CA or NY) and have more homogeneous populations, yet even in those small towns there are those of different races - and guess what? - no one cares.

I often understand a lot of frustration given the economic and social policies of our government, but this is a great country and for the most part, this country has assimilated millions of people from every part of the world - and better than most countries.

[tango-tee]

35. To start with my side of the family...

Paternal: German, to the best of my knowledge.

Maternal: German, French, Serb, Romani

I married an African-American man in 1974 who in turn has in his family tree additions of:

French, Irish, Choctaw

We have a wonderful, 35 year old son who is married to an African-American woman with roots in .... fill in the blanks.

Intermarriage is a good thing. With the blending of cultures and traditions, there can only be enhanced understanding of each other (or so I hope).

[tavalon]

38. So, what constitutes interracial exactly?

And is that different from ethnicity?

[JanusAscending]

41. Yellow , Red, Black, White and Brown!

Basically the divisions of the continents, is where I believe it began.....to the best of my recollection.