Lauren Johnson Mr.

Newman Rhetoric: English 101 8 November 2013 Salt and Pepper With an African-American president and fourteen states that have passed the same-sex marriage bill, it is no doubt that modern-day society is becoming increasingly tolerant with the different backgrounds and beliefs of others, however interracial couples still seems to be a grey area. Although many maintain the idea that our tolerant society has reached a point that we can overlook the differences of others enough that when we find the one we love, we can look farther than race, but then again this tolerance tends to hit the fan when relationships are created between people who have different racial backgrounds, and an intolerant elder has a racial stand point on why you shouldnt be with an individual solely based on their race. With many people in our society being young and easily assimilating to the changes of our culture, the conflict arises from the intolerant elders of our society who oppose the idea of races intermingling with each other, making it difficult for society to reach a point of racial equality. From the beginning of our youth, we have all had tastes of the kinds people we want in life whether they are much like us or they greatly differ. Elder generations influence our tastes by explaining their views on others, raising us from a young age to become more selective in who we choose. Obviously, our societys elders could have grown up when separation of races was extremely common, but as they pass this mentality down the line to future generations, this would make modern-day society focus on qualities of a person based on race, and this would

lead to the downfall of the attempt of racial equality our society has endlessly tried to reach, Gary B. Nash supports this claim by stating, Gallup has found that 95 percent of people 18 to 29 approve of interracial dating, compared with less than half of those 65 and older. However, younger generations have abandoned this trend and have started to mingle with people of different racial backgrounds, creating the larger demographic of mixed background individuals. As modern-day society continues to make advances in the treatment of gender, racial backgrounds, and sexual orientation, the elders of our society continue play a large role of keeping racial inequality alive. As society faces changes within our culture, the younger generations have become accustomed to the mixed races of people coming from all different backgrounds. In years past, interracial marriages were typically looked down upon and in some cases illegal, like in 1965 in South Carolina as noted by Heidi M. Durrow, coming from a Danish immigrant mother and an African-American father, Durrow says, Census figures show that interracial marriages are at an all-time high, and the multiracial population is the countrys fastest-growing demographic. More people are becoming intrigued with those who have a different race, creating individuals much like Durrow. With the innovations of society creating a more user friendly environment by taking the shame out of having a certain sexual orientation, holding a certain opinion or even being with someone different than your background, this could be the reasoning behind why so many people are stepping out from their racial background into other ones. The division lines separating each group appear to become thinner and thinner as many of us speak out on why it isnt socially acceptable to like a specific group, and collectively society agrees that singling out a group isnt ethical, this leads to revelations like Durrow presented before. By individuals

reaching a point where they can look beyond race to understand how they feel about someone is helping society become racially tolerant, and less effected by intolerant elders. In contrast, others hold the position that racial equality cannot be reached as race is always going to play a key role in the relationships of society. Dian e Farr claims, Lets blame it on the parents. Love is the last area where even educated and progressive parents can still openly teach prejudice at homewhich is the only reason interracial marriage is still scandalous. Most us have been brought up being taught that we should stay with our race when find someone that we love because this mentality has been passed down from our parents from their parents. Even though this generation has become more acceptable to the differences of others, racial prejudice still exists because some are afraid to branch away from their race because they fear being disowned by their family and friends. But we do see the brink of racial equality on the horizon as parents begin to understand the trends of the new age, as Farr states, This leads me to believe that interracial prejudice can be eradicated in one more generationif todays parents stop teaching it to our little ones, in subtle or unsubtle ways. Along with the stance Farr maintains, Kevin Noble Maillard also offers his mentality on interracial relationships claiming that, Interracial relationships are scandalous because people still believe them to be rare, even when we are all surrounded by them. . .In all reality, mixed race is an entirely American story, but we still see it as mission impossible. In addition to Maillards claim, we tend to think of interracial relationships as taboo because we are afraid of being rejected by our peers and family members. Our loved ones tend to have the most lasting effects on us and we typically curve our lives to be approved by them. Often times though our loved ones try to support us in all we do, but behind closed doors they try tell you who you can and who you cannot be affiliated with. This leads to the never ending conflict of interracial couples because as we continue to move forward in

society by ignoring race, there are always going to those who completely oppose the thought of two different races together. Individually and collectively as a society, it is up to us to eradicate a more tolerant society that looks beyond race when they are looking to be with someone. As intolerant elders continue to have lasting effects on the judgment of modern day society, there will continue to be a fine line between races. However, if we carry on with our mentality of accepting the backgrounds of others, even if they greatly differ from our personal beliefs, our society can reach a point of racial equality.

Works Cited Durrow, Heidi W. "It's O.K. to Be Intrigued." The New York Times. Room for Debate, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/13/is-interracialmarriage-still-scandalous/interracial-couples-should-be-heard-not-just-seen>. Farr, Diane. "Parents Pass the Bias Along to Their Kids." The New York Times. Room for Debate, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/13/is-interracial-marriage-stillscandalous/parents-pass-along-the-bias-against-interracial-marriage>. Maillard, Kevin Noble. "The Myth of Rarity." The New York Times. Room for Debate, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/13/is-interracialmarriage-still-scandalous/interracial-couples-are-still-seen-as-rare>. Nash, Gary E. "We Can't Just Wait for Bias to Disappear." New York Times. Room for debate, 13 June 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.