Sociology Essay Example: Interracial Relationships

Interracial marriages can present unique challenges which can cause a lot of hindrances towards how the relationship is going to be established and above all, it can pose a barrier to two interracial families, on the other hand, it is believed that an interracial union can be a sound opportunity for a beautiful, enriching chance to grow. In the twenty-first century, biracial and biculturalism are increasing day by day with skin color and place of birth no longer be relied upon for ones identity. The concept leaves one to wonder whether men who marry women of color do it for their love for them or they escape cultural values and practices the paper will distinguish the difference between popular culture belief and traditional culture belief with a sole purpose of identifying a perspective. African men who marry outside the race, are considered by the traditional African beliefs to expose their culture and to run away from their values. The opinion is contrasted by global popular believes that indicates they marry out of love.

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As much it is possible for people from a different race to intermarry, the couples would have to settle in raising their children differently and also changing their cultural values and adopt a neutral way or approach. If a man marries a woman of color, he will not carry out all the traditional values since the children will become half his race and half the mothers race (Medina-Rivera, Wilberschied & Crossing Over Symposium2011). Most men decide to evade traditional values by setting to interracial marriages although the marriages have got their fair share of disappointments. The traditional struggles felt as each one tries to fit in is just the beginning of the unending ordeal. Interracial marriages and relationships become hectic when dealing with the extended family whereby the behavioral expectations that one is supposed to uphold and the torture of how one is expected to behave.

Interracial Relationships becomes a challenge when one has to learn about the other person personality and also try to live up to their likes and how they do things. Most individuals who prefer to have interracial relationship or marriage do that in the context of escaping ethnocentrism whereby they believe that other cultures are not just inferior to theirs but they are also as interesting and as complex as theirs.

In the book written by Claudine C. O Hearn on Half and Half, it explains the demise that follows when one intermarry from a different culture and the difficulties of not fitting in another persons culture. Claudine outlines a framework of how men and women share their frustration when they constantly have to explain themselves in another language that they might not know too well (O'Hearn, 1998). Through the lens of experience, a broader spectrum of meaning of race and culture is made and also at the same time the racial and culture division is imminent.

In the movies about interracial marriages and relationships, the acceptance of the two racial groups merging is faced with challenges as the serious rift between cultures is identified. The movie of Something New introduces a young black woman who is attracted to a white man although she doesnt like a white man (Something new, 2006). The attraction is against her will, and it can be true to say that the woman falls in love with the white man despite her attitude towards racial intermarriage and intercultural relationships. Even though in the movie the black woman loves the white man, the family is not thrilled with a fact that their daughter might date a white man. The movie has tons of honest dialogues that explains how its different in the modern America about race and how her white new families would feel about her.

Although Kenya and Brian decide to get into their first stage of their relationship, they find themselves crashing into each other since they do not know how to handle one anothers preference. Brian makes a comment on Kenyas weave and how she is supposed to wear her hair, and she gets angry since she thought men of all races are not supposed to discuss hair-care discussions with women of all races. Brian notices that Kenyas brothers are cool and friendly and he enjoys their comedy. On the other hand, as much as race is concerned, the two decided to have a relationship due to love and not as a way of running away from their traditional culture (Something new, 2006). The two loved each other, but they do not appear to be ready to take on the responsibility of declaring what they feel and living with it. The stereotype on the issue of culture is still debatable, and it is not only about the two people who are in love and inseparable but also about the families and the societal pressure that exist between two race. In the movie of our wedding, the families are the one wary of each other due to cultural differences (Something new, 2006). The inferiority and negativity on each others culture cannot be erased by two people falling in love since one would still see the need to prove that one culture is beneath the other.

Some black men marry women from a different race to escape their heritage. Some assume that if they get a white woman and have connections with them, then they will not have to make connections to their roots. There are traditional beliefs however that indicate that members of a certain community are expected to uphold different values and principles (O'Hearn, 1998). In David Mira Reflection of My Daughter, he discusses the issue of self-hatred that arises when a black man makes a choice of marrying a white woman (Mura, 2017). The daughter being discussed in the book end up losing the love of her life due to the traditional beliefs that are adopted by her loving husband.

In African culture, they believe that one should respect their culture by marrying someone from his race. Other uphold that one should be left to decide and that marrying a woman is by choice and an expression of love rather than escaping the traditional values and cultures (Mura, 2017). David Mura, however, believes that marrying a white woman is going against traditional beliefs and it is a sign of lack of respect. A careful analysis of his work indicates that marrying a white woman was not embraced well and instead of adding happiness into his life, it added sorrow due to lack of acceptance. As a result, the man nurtured self-hatred and criticized his choices and mistakes (Mura, 2017). The man hates himself since people thought that he was escaping from traditional cultures and he was not n love.

David stories allow one to realize that intercultural and interracial relationships are considered as an act of undermining cultures and embracing other races. The dent reduces peoples opportunity to be happy and what they wish to be in the society (Mura, 2017). The popular culture belief, on the other hand, encourages people from different cultural backgrounds to interact and intermarry to promote unity. The popular culture gives the individual the power of choice and the freedom to love anyone. If one gets the freedom to marry a woman from another race based on how they feel, then it is not viewed as a means of escaping one tradition.

In conclusion, traditional belief does not support individual freedom but instead it promotes conformity to the existing beliefs. Individual rights are not supported and they are also not given room to make choices on what they want. Popular culture however promotes personal freedom and allows people to interact freely with other races.

References

Mura, D. (2017). Reflections of my daughter Poem. Scrapbook.com. Retrieved 7 March 2017, from https://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/11012.html

Something new. (2006).

O'Hearn, C. C. (1998). Half and Half: Writers on Growing up biracial and bicultural. New York: Pantheon Books.

Medina-Rivera, A., Wilberschied, L., & Crossing Over Symposium. (2011). In, out and beyond: Studies on border confrontations, resolutions, and encounters. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.