The qualitatively higher level of hostility that black-white marriages face make these relationships more difficult for African-Americans, as easily seen in the lower number of blacks who outmarry, as well as for whites who marry blacks. Yancey's study illustrates that these whites who marry blacks have more visceral experiences of racism than whites who marry non-black people of color.
Whites who intermarry use their changed social status to reconsider earlier thoughts about societal views on race. Those who marry blacks, especially, may go beyond theoretical ideas, since they often have to deal with racism thrust forcefully into their lives. The findings indicate that premarital racial preparation is inadequate for informing whites of the possible ramifications of their interracial decisions. Majority group members are apt to have a difficult time understanding the total impact of being linked to a black until it occurs. Just as race is a socially constructed concept, racial understanding is also arbitrarily determined. The experiences of whites who observe racism first hand are certain to play an important...
What he found, however, was not surprising although it was disconcerting. One would hope that with the changing demographics in this country as well as increased globalization, it would become easier for people to intermarry. It appears that the whites in this country still differentiate among blacks, Asians and Hispanics. Although interracial white and Hispanic and white and Asian marriages have their own difficulties, the issue of color and history make it more challenging for black and white unions.
References
Rosenfeld, Michael J. The Age of Independence: Interracial Unions, Same-Sex Unions, and the Changing American Family. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2007.
Yancey, George. Experiencing Racism: Differences in the Experiences of Whites Married to Blacks and Non-Black Racial Minorities, Journal of Comparative…
