Interracial marriages increasing according to U.S. Census

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    By Elizabeth Pedro

    Michael Nugent is like most other 9-year-old boys. He likes Harry Potter, playing Playstation, playing basketball, skateboarding and reading. But there is one thing that makes Nugent different from most of his classmates and friends-his parents are different races. His father is Jamaican and his mother is white.

    The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 1990 that the number of interracial children was 2 million, up from 500,000 interracial children in1970.

    The Census Bureau also reports that interracial marriages are growing steadily. From the 1960 to the 1990 Census, white-Asian married couples increased almost tenfold and black-white couples quadrupled. Despite this increase, interracial marriages only account for 2.4% of all marriages in America.

    These reports also show that in the past twenty years there has been a shift in the types of interracial marriages. The numbers have increased for couples that include a black husband and white wife, American Indian husband and white wife and white husband and Asian/Pacific Islander wife.

    And the numbers have decreased greatly for marriages that included a white husband and black wife, white husband and American Indian wife and Asian/Pacific Islander husband and white wife.

    As the numbers have increased for interracial marriages and children, public perception has changed regarding interracial marriages.

    One major indicator of a shift in public perception is what happened with the 2000 Census.

    Prior to the 2000 Census, people could only select one race and now they can pick up to 63 possible combinations.

    Some children not only belong to 1 or 2 races, but even more. Tiger Woods says he is ”Cablinasian”, which is his self-crafted acronym: which means one-eighth Caucasian, one-fourth black, one-eighth American Indian, one-fourth Thai and one-fourth Chinese.

    One major influence on one”s decision to date/marry someone of a different race is family. Nugent”s father, Peter, a Provo resident, grew up in Jamaica where there are many people of different races. His great grandmother, as well as some of his aunts, uncles, and cousins married outside of their race. They met at BYU 11 years ago and married soon after.

    Springville resident Brenda Francis has been married twice, both times to Native American men. Francis said she grew up in southern Missouri and didn”t have much exposure to other cultures or races. However, when she left the state to attend college, she dated more men from minority groups than from her own.

    According to Peter Nugent and Francis, there are many advantages of interracial marriages. The first is that their children are very beautiful. Peter Nugent said people always stop him in stores, and restaurants, and on the street to tell them how beautiful his children are.

    Another advantage is that these children grow up to be more tolerant of other”s differences. Francis said that she has noticed that she and her husband are more tolerant as well.

    Peter Nugent agreed and said “his children are less likely to be prejudiced against others”

    The disadvantages of interracial marriage vary. Most couples interviewed for this article reported they never have faced any prejudice towards their marriage. A few reported being followed in stores, facing prejudice from policeman and being called names.

    However, some couples reported that their children have been the targets of prejudice. For them, the only drawback of their interracial marriage is that their children are mistreated.

    Interracial children face labels or stereotypes. Francis has a sister who also married a Native American and lives in Utah County. This sister has a neighbor who calls her children “half-breeds” and makes other derogatory comments.

    Interracial children are even stereotyped by their own races. One young lady said that when she went away to college, she wasn”t accepted by the black or white students and realty struggled as she felt like she didn”t belong anywhere.

    As more and more people face these situations, organizations are being formed. The International Interracial Association was founded in June 1995. The goal of this organization is to help promote racial and cultural harmony worldwide and includes those that are interracial individuals, individuals in interracial marriages and those who have adopted interracial children.

    Peter Nugent he said “If two people love each other and are active in the church, there should be reason why they can”t be married and have a family. Besides, inside we are all the same.”

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