Interracial Dating---is it the race or culture? [View All]

[vaberella]

Actually, this is interesting. I'll start with the convoluted story. I was listening to a cover of Halo done by a youtuber on a piano---no vocals. It was beautiful. On the side I see something about Tyra and interracial dating. That story was about an Indian girl who falls in love and runs away and marries a Black muslim who's a hip hop fashion designer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuqZ-1bhOU&feature=related


Then I saw another one about blasians and all that and here are some of the links:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXPTxpMp9qE

I found this interesting above because I do agree with the host. England has a huge multi-cultural (or interracial dating/marriage/procreating populations :rofl). Actually I found it so big that I found Black-Black dating to be a novelty. When you see a Black couple you're kind of like,"Wow...how did that happen." That being said this is to look at cultural things.

I realize in the US and Europe race is the big thing---or I should say colourism in many respects as well or black/white. I'm Haitian and what I've noticed in my family the problem is not race, it's nationality--in regards to the older generations and their influence on their adult children marriage partner or dating partner. If you are not Haitian---you basically don't have to apply for a position to marry. Haitians seem to look at people by nationality. American, Jamaican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban. And that's the issue. However, if you're Haitian and of Chinese descent (I've met my fair share and I happen to know someone writing about the Chinese diaspora in Haiti) or what some would call "White" but Haitian. You're just plain Haitian.


Our issues is mainly cultural and it's more like inter-cultural dating problems I seem to have. My mum only accepts others if they speak French, but if they speak Creole they move up the list and are then taken in as "one of us." I don't know about other Caribbeans or maybe Americans of African descent who dated Caribbeans---but I notice there's a major culture gap.


Actually there's even this weird hierarchy as well. If you don't marry a Haitian, you can marry Cuban (unmatched adoration of Castro in Haitians---especially of the older generation---my mum's generation which is baby boomers era in US or a little before). Dominicans---definitely a problem---it's a weird love/hate thing going on. But if anyone has a clue of Haitian/Dominican history you'll know why the hate is there and why marriage is a definitely a no or under major stress---to the point of divorce in many cases. Puerto Ricans---actually no problems. Jamaicans---it's weird, I've come to see some petty issues between the two, to be honest. Even Americans, in particular Black Americans----relationship with outsiders. This I would have to leave for another post; however I'm wondering if the black hierarchy I've seen touted in the US is a social construction made by the US and other nations have taken up or if this is just their own by product due to the colour hierarchy (seen at times) prevalent in Caribbean and South American nations.

I then had to take a step back and see if this was racism, when I initially saw this or some sort of it. I then on an offhand (because I'm moving there) looked at Korea's social structure. I noted the same thing. Actually many nations have it. Koreans tend to be very *pro-Korea* and the older generation are anti-non Korean marriage. Younger generation is very different or becoming so, but older--withing the same baby boomer period still think this way, a lot of the time. However, on a twist they do have racial issues. This is where Haiti differs from Korea. Color is not the problem since there are poor Whites. The ruling elite is mainly made up of the mulatte (excuse me if this is not PC---using creole terms), many of whom have Lebanese or Asian lineage.


In any event...my main reason for posting is that I'm just noting the difference that in Western countries the difference is seemingly racial. While in most other nations, it's not colour (although you'll find colourism), the issue is cultural. And the significant cultural divide is a mess.