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.