A Nation Imprisoned by Race An Analysis of Interracial...

An interracial relationship is a connection between persons of different races; this connection can be purely platonic or involve sexual relations. It is important not to confuse interracial dating with interracial marriage because there are distinct differences, implications, and data. For example, more individuals are likely to interdate than to intermarry because dating is less of a commitment (Yancey). The earliest examples of intermixing occurred during slavery when White plantation owners forced themselves onto Black female slaves (Foeman). Whether by law or by custom, there was a time when interracial interactions were strictly prohibited; legal restrictions and regulations existed as early as 1662. These prohibitions reinforced†¦show more content†¦Some believe it breaks natural order and racial boundaries (Beigel). Others think interdating is a threat to power relations, the preservation of white privilege, and the purity of the White race. The word ‘race†™ carries with it inherent differences between groups, which are used as justification for â€Å"natural† hierarchies. Since these relationships are unnatural, they are incapable of long-term success (Perry). A few have even gone so far as to express that race mixing is a worse crime than murder. The rationale is that when one commits murder, only one man is killed. Whereas when one racially mixes, it is genocide because the gene pool is diluted and bloodlines are thinned. Society’s perceptions place greater stress on interracial couples. Americans have a strong need to categorize and segregate. Even modern American society is obsessed with whiteness and the exclusion of anyone who is not of Anglo descent. This creation of a caste system sustains the high status of the White majority and oppresses minorities. Social norms declare that one must be American and White in order to be considered normal; non-Whites are abnormal, un-American, and physically and mentally inf erior to Whites (Grapes). Moreover, skin color stratification gives those with lighter skin privilege and preferential treatment. This social norm of discrimination based on skin color further pits races against each other and introduces racial