University Essay: Interracial Relationships in the United States

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the issues and difficulties faced by interracial couples in the United States. It begins with a historical overview of racial bias and discrimination, highlighting the legal battles and societal prejudices that have impacted interracial relationships, including the landmark Loving v. Virginia case. The essay delves into the problem of racism, examining how individuals are judged based on racial identity and the disproportionate impact on certain groups. It explores the changing demographics of the US and the evolving attitudes towards interracial marriages. Furthermore, it discusses the lingering societal stigma and discrimination faced by interracial couples, including housing issues, bullying of children, and public controversies. The essay also touches upon the cultural displacement aspect and sexism in the context of interracial relationships. Finally, it aims to propose policy-related approaches to address and remedy these problems, offering a detailed understanding of the complexities and ongoing challenges in this domain.

Running head: INTER RACIAL RELATIONSHIPS
INTER RACIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Only if policy decisions and verdicts passed by the law courts been the basis of
structuring of the societal thought process and the agent responsible for the removal and
eradication of the societal biases and prejudices, life would have been much easier. The
phenomenon of viewing the people of African origin with contempt is not something new in the
United States of America and has been continuing ever since the coming into being of the nation.
Racial bias against the black skinned Africans in the United States of America have taken several
forms just to ensure that their position in the societal hierarchy is always below that of the white
skinned Americans, who consider that the country belongs to them (Troy, Lewis-Smith, and
Laurenceau). Violent attacks aimed at causing injury or even death, prejudicial attitude
demonizing the entire race, making them engage in slavery and other odd jobs in the United
States of America by bringing them from Africa, are some of the most common forms of
structural violence that is widely observed and extensively reported all throughout the country.
However, there are other forms of discrimination which have been undertaken to ensure that the
social mobility, and the assimilation of the Africans in the United States of America is seriously
impeded, and that is reflected in the pre 1967 scenario in the country when it was illegal to
conduct marriage ceremonies and formalities between the white Americans and the Africans
(Troy, Lewis-Smith, and Laurenceau).
The legal arrangement prohibiting inter racial marriages stemmed from the social
prejudice and the attitude of condescence that prevailed against the Africans, and the strand of
logic that was in vogue in those days was that inter marriages between the Africans and the
Americans would lead to the adulteration of the genetic composition and the superiority of the
white skinned Americans. Thus the underlying intention was to obstruct the path of cultural

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assimilation in order to maintain the hierarchical dynamism of the relationship between the
whites and the blacks in the country, governed by the superiority of the former over the latter.
Amalgamating the biological explanatory basis to the already existing rampant societal bias
became the tool to perpetrate the biased thought process (Troy, Lewis-Smith, and Laurenceau).
The American Civil War had ended in the year 1965, but the legacy of keeping the
Africans in a downtrodden position in the society, was still alive. It was inconceiveable for the
people to imagine of the Africans of anything above the level of a slave. Two years after the end
of the American Civil War, in the year 1967 that the law prohibiting marriages between Africans
and the Americans had been outlawed and rendered unconstitutional (Troy, Lewis-Smith, and
Laurenceau). The second major landmark judgement of the Supreme Court of the United States
of America, after the abolishing of slavery. However, the problems still tend to persist and that is
more psychological and societal than anything as technical as a legal impediment.
Psychologically as well as socially it is still difficult for inter racial couples to be at peace with
each other. Though it is possible for anyone to live the life of their choice on their own terms in
the United States of America, that is still an enigma at various parts of the country even now
(Troy, Lewis-Smith, and Laurenceau).
In this particular essay the aim or the purpose shall be to analyse the issues and
difficulties faced by inter racial couples in the United States of America, and the policy related
approach to provide a remedy to the problem. This essay discusses about how the people are
judged in an unfair manner in the society on the basis of their racial identity. The essay brings
out how the black male babies have higher chances of being incarcerated and how the poor
people in the society are treated in an unfair manner.

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Analysis of the Problem
The problem that arises is pertaining to racism and the tendency of the public to view the
things in the form of racial events instead of that of racial pattern. The problem that exists in the
society is due to the fact that the black men in the society have eight times more chances of being
killed by the police as compared to the whites in the society. Generically speaking, the post 1967
situation is different from what prevailed before the legislation outlawing the Anti Miscegenation
Laws. In the context of those days, the concept of inter racial marriages were limited to a black
marrying a white, and setting up a family. In today’s context, the racial demography has become
more heterogenous and the racial binary of the whites and the blacks are no longer pertinent
(Pascoe). The United States of America is after all a multi ethnic country epitomized by the
saying that it is a melting pot of cultures from all over the world. A survey report suggests that in
2010, 15 percent of all the marriages that have taken place in the United States of America were
inter racial, which marks an increase in the number, and reflective of a positive change in the
country in terms of the change in the thought process of the people in the country (Pascoe).
The question that needs to be considered now is tracing the landmark event which made
inter racial marriages possible in the United States of America. It was in the year 1859, on the
11th day of the month of July, that a married couple comprising a woman of colour by the name
Mildred, and a man Richard Loving were arrested from their slumber for the crime of having
entered into conjugal relationship despite the Anti Miscegenation Laws being in effect in the
state of Virginia. Though they had got married in the state of Washington, Districts of
Colombia, where the fear of incurring any legal penalty for being in such a forbidden
relationship. On their return to Virginia after having their marriage solemnized they were
arrested (Bogusia, Estrada and Burnett). They had provided the justification to safeguard their

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marital status as a marriage to provide for a remedy to an unforeseen situation of Mildred getting
pregnant. Hence Richard had to marry her to compensate for the folly, and that resulted in them
escaping the prison sentence, upon which they fled to Washington, Districts of Colombia to seek
a relatively safe haven. In the year 1963 they had decided to move the American Civil Liberties
Union to fight a case on their behalf in the law court. It was a four year long battle, and finally in
the year 1967 that the Anti Miscegenation Laws were ruled out as unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court of the United States of America. Even then only one state out of the 50, the state
of Alabama had not outlawed the Anti Miscegenation Laws. Finally in the year 2000 that even
the state of Alabama had outlawed it (Bogusia, Estrada and Burnett).
The problem did not get solved over there. As it has already been mentioned in the
previous section which dealt with the background information of the thesis statement of the
essay, that the legal pronouncement was not enough to put an end to the predicament of the inter
racial couples of the United States of America, the societal stigma still prevailed very much.
It became very difficult for the inter racial couple to find a suitable place as residence on
rent as the landlords often refused to provide such couples a place to stay. The worst hit were
perhaps the children of inter racial couples, as they faced a lot of bullying and discrimination at
their places of education, and other places where they socialized. The sense of disgust against
children of mixed race was very much prevalent in the social climate even after the legalization
of mixed marriages. In the year 2013 Richard Cohen had come at the center of controversy for
his comment about an aspirant to the office of the Mayor of the city of New York, Bill De
Blasio. Cohen had passed a remark that in order to put an end to the, “gag reflex”, the people of
the United States of America must refrain from voting him to the post of Mayor. The reason
behind passing such an obnoxious comment was that he was a white skinned American who had

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married a black skinned woman of African origin (Ullucci). The couple had two children as well
who were obviously of mixed race. The underlying motive behind the comment was to create
something to attract he attention of the people having a conservative bent of mind, and as a result
of it win over the conservative people who cherished similar thoughts. Though there was a public
outrage and that was however more against Richard Cohen, and a disgust for his callous
comment which meant that Bill de Blasio winning the election contest would be inspiring more
white Americans to indulge in relationships with people of other race. In a press conference later
on when he was asked to justify himself over the comment of “gag reflex”, to which he said that
he was just expressing his opinion on the issue of mix marriages and children of mixed races in
America. However several critics have pointed out that an expression of a hostile viewpoint
cannot be simply a matter of expression of views. That leads one to conclude that there still
exists such elements in the American Society which is hostile towards the couples involving one
white American and the other partner or spouse of some other ethnic and racial background, even
though the country has progressed a lot and years have passed after the declaration of human
rights, abolition of slavery and the legal recognition given to inter racial relationships (Ullucci).
In this regard, the aspect of cultural displacement must be discussed with respect to the
level of sexism that is attached to the issue of inter racial relationships. Whether it is the
community of the white skinned Americans, or some other ethnic community, they conservative
attitude towards women of their respective communities indulging in relationships of romantic
nature is something which is undesirable and something extremely blasphemous. Back then the
20th century, a black skinned man could get mob lynched by white people for any advances
towards a white woman, even if that was of non sexual and of a harmless nature. In the
contemporary times the hatred towards inter racial relationships have taken a different turn

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altogether. In this regard the relationship of a young, white, moderately christian American girl
by the name Katherine Russel and a muslim, Chechen man of immigrant background from
Dagestan, Russia, by the name Tamerlan Tsarnev must be mentioned of. Tamerlan Tsarenv was
moderately muslim as well however he had come under the influence of the jihadi faction of
extremist fundamentalist muslim reformer Anwar Al Maliki, through his youtube videos. He got
engaged to the American girl, and got married to her eventually. She converted to Islam under
his influence, and had started wearing hijab, praying five times a day, and observing all the
nittigritties of the religion. That had caused her friends and the society to rethink about
integration and had also raised concern that the United States of America has been facing
cultural displacement. Tamerlan Tsarnev had once assaulted a Brazilian man for trying to enter
into romantic relationship with his sister. The fault of the Brazilian man was that he was a non
muslim. When this news was publicized in the social media, the masses went berserk that
muslims were trying to take over the country and were luring people into terrorist activities.
Tamerlan Tsarnev had travelled to Dagestan with his wife and on his return to America he had
waged the marathon track terrorist attack killing three people on spot. As it is the political and
social climate in the United States of America was extremely islamophobic and this particular
incident had made the general Americans rethink about inter racial relationships and the entire
aspect of multiculturalism in totality (LaTaillade).
From the above discussion it becomes clear that the clash of cultures is one of the prime
challenges faced by the inter racial couples. The questions with regard to deciding upon the fate
of the child came to be a topic of concern in the internal dynamics of the family life of the inter
racial couples. Whose religion shall the child follow, whose last name shall the last child take up,
which culture shall the child follow, shall the couple move out of America after their marriage,

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were some of the rhetorical questions which were raised (Bogusia, Estrada and Burnett). In case
of the Africans marrying the white Americans, the matter was of entangling oneself with the
former oppressors, and those memories of white farm owners, the masters sexually assaulting the
black slave women were something which was impossible for them to forget. However, this does
not mean that none of the inter racial couples lead a happy and contended life, and they are
earmarked be separated (Bogusia, Estrada and Burnett).
Policy Decisions taken to combat the issue
The policy that is being talked about is anti-miscegenation law that was passed by the
individual states that can help in prohibiting the aspect of miscegenation. The inter-racial
marriage has been legalized in the United States with the help of ballot referendum in Alabama
that helped in legalizing the aspect of interracial marriage. As it becomes clear from the above
discussion that the problem is highly social than legal in the post 1967 context, with regard to the
challenges faced by the inter racial couples of America, hence the personal problems cannot be
solved by the government of the United States of America (LaTaillade). However some social
problems like the discrimination of the children of inter racial couples, the right to marry the
partner of choice irrespective of their racial identity can be guaranteed by the government of the
United States of America (McFadden). The right to marry persons belonging to a racial
background apart from the white American race was already recognized in few states of the
United States of America even before the 1967 legislation, while in some states, especially in the
ultra conservative ones of the southern part of the country and some others as well inter racial
marriages were illegal, and people could be prosecuted according to the state law. However that
impediment has been overcome by the 1967 legislation of the Anti Miscegenation Laws, and

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throughout the country it was made legal for persons to choose their partners even if that meant
from another race (McFadden).
Alternative Policies
With regard to the assault of the inter racial couples and their children, and the discrimination in
providing them the public facilities, the anti discrimination laws, which is also called as the Title
vii, can be invoked for the sake of extending justice to the aggrieved parties. Through the
particular legal policy decision, discrimination against inter racial couples have been elevated to
the status of racialism (Bogusia, Estrada and Burnett). Justice Stephen Johnson wrote for
Supreme Court and it stated that it should try to prevent discrimination state legislation against
any group of person.
Opposition to the Policy Decision
Virginia and Alabama were the only two states of the United States of America to oppose
the 1967 legislation and they had repealed the Anti Miscegenation Laws only in the years 1998
and 2000 respectively (Milan and Keiley). In Alabama there have also been situations in the 21st
century itself to make schooling facilities different for the white skinned Americans and for
children of other ethnicities and even the inter racial ones. Those two states are well known for
their conservative attitude and their outlook towards the issue of race and ethnicity. Even the
outlawing of the Anti Miscegenation Laws in the state of Alabama was possible because of a
victory with a short margin. That is reflective of the fact that the people therein are not ready to
accept intermingling of race and neo Nazism is also very much prevalent therein (Killian).

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Universal Truth
The universal truth lies in the fact that there exist police brutality in the society that is
perpetrated on the marginalized people in the society. There exist racial profiling in the society
and it has an overall bad impact on the people residing in different places of the world. The
universal truth is the fact that injustice is often perpetrated on the juveniles and there are many
people in the society who get harsher sentence than what they deserve.
Conclusion
Thus, it becomes clear once again that laws and policies are not enough for changing the
mindset of the people, however they are necessary to safeguard the people from any form of
hostilities from the end of the society. It has to be kept in mind that if something is endorsed and
practiced by the majority that does not make it correct, and the law courts shall come to the
rescue of the people. It can hence be stated that there occurs legal injustice in the society on the
marginalized populations. The society bears testimony to institutionalized prejudice that is at
work in the society that is instrumental in meting out uneven treatment to the marginalized
section of the population.

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References
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couples." Journal of marital and family therapy 27.1 (2001): 27-42.
LaTaillade, Jaslean J. "Considerations for treatment of African American couple relationships."
Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 20.4 (2006): 341.
McFadden, John. "Intercultural marriage and family: Beyond the racial divide." The Family
Journal 9.1 (2001): 39-42.
Milan, Stephanie, and Margaret K. Keiley. "Biracial youth and families in therapy: Issues and
interventions." Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 26.3 (2000): 305-315.
Molina, Bogusia, Diane Estrada, and Judith A. Burnett. "Cultural communities: Challenges and
opportunities in the creation of “happily ever after” stories of intercultural couplehood."
The family journal 12.2 (2004): 139-147.
Pascoe, Peggy. "Race, gender, and intercultural relations: The case of interracial marriage."
Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 12.1 (1991): 5-18.
Troy, Adam B., Jamie Lewis-Smith, and Jean-Philippe Laurenceau. "Interracial and intraracial
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style." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 23.1 (2006): 65-80.
Ullucci, Kerri. "Book Review: Racism Without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence
of Racial Inequality in the United States." Urban Education 41.5 (2006): 533-540.