Our modern culture is becoming more and more tolerant of people breaking the mold and moving outside of the box into a more realistic mindset where people do date out of there race or fall in love with someone of the same gender. As stated on MSNBC.com, "Factoring in all racial combinations, Stanford University sociologist Michael Rosenfeld calculates that more than 7 percent of America’s 59 million married couples in 2005 were interracial, compared to less than 2 percent in 1970." These numbers prove that non-traditional families are on the rise in our modern society.While the numbers do prove more people are breaking the mold, when will the society as a whole accept these families as no better or worse than a traditional non-mixed, heterosexual family? We live in a country where not everyone is allowed to marry who they would like. Not till the 60's was anyone allowed to marry someone of another race. In conclusion I ask, when will the majority of society, if ever, come to accept the changes in our nations family life?
This reminds me a lot of the discussion that we had on Friday in class about Junior and the white woman who almost mothered his child. Interracial families are inevitably the way of the future, and in my opinion even more people should embrace them than 7%. With American diversity growing so greatly, I hope to see and know many more interracial couples in the future.
ReplyDeleteKatie,
ReplyDeleteLoved reading your reflection, especially -- thanks for sharing your personal story.
I think this is a perfect topic for An American Studies. But I would include more links (I can show you how) and analyze the data beyond observing that the non-traditional family is "on the rise". Are those stats surprising to you? Did you expect them to be higher or lower in terms of gains made?
Remember also -- the 1960s was not the first time interracial marriages were allowed.
Keep it up -- this is the kind of thinking you need to be doing. Very impressed. And I love that show, don't you? :)