Are Interracial Marriages A New Trend?

When it comes to marriages, who would you prefer to marry? A hot hunk of a guy with a beautiful tan, exotic looks and an awesome personality to match or an average person you see roaming the streets of your town doing the same things you find yourself doing. “Okay,” I might have been a little unfair in the options to choose from, but really, would you pick a socio-economic match or something that has genuine love that you feel can last a lifetime.

“Some may worry about the measure of a person’s income, education, social class, profession and much more. This way of thinking is a thing of the past; today people are making connections with others who are from different races and ethnicities,” said Malissa Wong, a culturally diverse individual herself from Guyana who is now currently married to an Italian American.

In 2008, a study was carried out about whether crossing racial boundaries increases the risk of divorce. It was proven that most interracial marriages only last up to 10 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, interracial marriages increased to 2,340,000 in 2008 compared to 310,000 in 1970. America is seen as the “melting pot” of cultures because of the diversity among cultures, religions and ethnicities. Also, with social networking at its highest, communication has become easier, thus creating a simpler way for people all over the world to get to know each other.

A faster, easier way of connecting with people is one of the reasons why adaptation to a interracial lifestyle through marriage has become a trend in 2012. For example, take a look at these successful interrical marriages among these celebreties: Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, Paula Patton and Robin ThickeTaye Diggs and Indina Menzel. They are all in interracial marriages and the negative of all of this is they will not have equal acceptance everywhere they go, their difference in appearance between each other may attract unnecessary attention, and there may be some clashing when it comes to their unique values and beliefs.

One example of an interrical marriage gone wrong is Heidi Klum and Seal who filed for divorce because of “irreconcilable differences,” after seven years of marriage. Together they have four children: Leni, 7 (Klum’s daughter from a previous relationship), Henry, 6; Johan, 5 and Lou, 2. This is just one example of an interracial marriage that ended in divorce. People need to connect on more than one level in an interracial relationship and realize that they are being provided an opportunity to explore not only socio-economic levels but cultural aspects as well, which often makes for a colorful bond.

My Inspiration (Jessica Rivera)

Life is something that cannot be enjoyed unless you can appreciate the beautiful environment as well as making connections with people of similar interest. The environment and mood in which you meet a person can determine making or breaking your relationship with that person. I remember the first time I met the 17- year- old Jessica Rivera, an extremely loving person that cares more for the life that surrounds her, including the life of tiny bugs, plants and animals.


I appreciate the things life has to offer, even the worst of days I try to see the positive. However, I started to get into the habit of doing environmentally friendly things after meeting Jessica. At the time, she was involved in multiple things: teaching children how to play soccer, community service at Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, planting trees every year in Central Park and even knitting in her free time.

One project I got involved with on Earth Day in April 2010 with Jessica was planting trees in Central Park. She showed me the steps it takes to transfer a small plant safely from one location to another. This was my first time doing something that had so much value to me. Sharing the experience with a friend, who I’m still close with two years later, shows that it helped us connect with each other better on a personal level.

I observed how delicately she handled each plant, lightly freeing them from any dust that collected on their leaves. She picked spots that had no other plants around in order to give the newly planted tree space to grow. She logically had everything figured out and in her eyes I could see that the work she was completing made her happy. I was extremely enticed by this teenage girl that was only a year younger than I was at the time. She encouraged me to write all my feelings down on paper. Sharing what I wrote afterwards was one of the hardest challenges. I eventually became comfortable with doing that when I built up enough confidence in my writing.

From that moment on, we became the best of friends. I felt such a freedom with Jessica in our daily walks in the park and visits to exhibits that I created a blog entitled “Life Is A Story To Be Told”, which housed all the poetry I wrote. Today, this blog has changed into so much more-- the title still remains the same, but it has developed into a masterpiece of my viewpoints of the world. The common topics I discuss in my blog posts can easily deviate and share connections with other topics you would never think of. The simple things found in life helped me develop as a person and realize that seeking answers and asking questions is not a bad quality at all. Furthermore, being open minded in the things we do today can open a door to new opportunities for us tomorrow. I would like to thank my best friend Jessica Rivera for showing me the path to writing by helping me discover myself through the things I wrote.