Harsh Reasons Some People Date Interracially

On the subject of interracial dating many remain divided; some embrace it while others are repulsed by it. A percentage of those people who embrace interracial dating do so out of vanity and not out of love. Some of the reasons people date interracially are below. Harsh Reasons people date interracially:

Some people date outside of their race to exploit the other person. They use the other person's genes to create "more appealing," exotic children with lighter skin, lighter eyes, and finer hair. They also use the other person's status to move up the social ladder. In this society being of the white race is deemed as having higher class and a more respectable status. Someone who is not white may feel a great deal of alienation in society and for that reason will date someone of a different race to move themselves up the social ladder. This disparity in skin color became set in "1660 when the Chesapeake colonies began establishing the legal foundation for racial distinctions that created the formal structure for eighteenth century racial slavery." (Horton p.30) This racial distinction is very popular throughout the world even in Asia where Indian people live by the caste system and the women seek out skin lightening creams and where Asian women hide behind umbrellas and unfailingly use bleaching cream.

Self hatred is one reason people date interracially. There are some people who are repulsed by they way they look and will go so far as to create a new life with someone that looks completely opposite themselves. They do this to separate themselves from a reality that pains them. These people often hate their skin color, facial features, and racial makeup. They only mate with those outside their race so that they can visually create their ideal family.

Others have a strong desire to ostracize themselves from their community. This desire goes back to the concept of self hatred. Individuals who do not fall into that category of higher class or higher beauty feel misplaced and grow to have self hatred. This self hatred often extends to include a hatred for their race. This hatred causes these people to deny everything and anything that attaches them to their race. They become a whole new person and attempt to take on an identity similar to that of their partner.

Lastly, many date outside of their race so that they can use their partner to show off. Some men have a particular idea of what their trophy wife or girlfriend would be and for these men the women of their dreams are usually ones that resemble the Western standard of beauty. These individuals have a sense of pride and ownership in being with someone who is considered the epitome of beauty.

Source

James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton Slavery And The Making of America, New York, New York, Oxford University Press, 2005