Brandi Bellamy

ENG 102
Dr. Wynne
17 February 2017

A Literature Review on the Ethics in Interracial Marriages

It is more common to see miscegenation around the world now than it was before the

late 19th century. Miscegenation is the mixing of different racial groups through marriage,

cohabitation, sexual relations, and even procreation. In 1967, the United States Supreme court

made it completely legal for an interracial couple to get married. This law not only proved to

America's people that it was okay to be of two different races and get married, but also helped to

try to end the segregation of black and whites in the early 1900's. However, it did not end

segregation at all. In fact, it made racist people even more angry at the fact that two different

races were now together as a unity. Questions about the ethical issues in interracial marriages has

come into play and to determine this, four main questions must be considered:

1. When did interracial marriages become a big issue in the state of Virginia?
2. What do people think about making interracial marriages illegal?
3. How does interracial marriages affect the child?
4. How does marrying interracially impact the culture of ones family?

The following literature review will provide insight pertaining to the history of interracial

marriages in Virginia, the legalization of interracial marriages, the repercussions of a child whose

parents are in an interracial marriage and the impact on the familys culture.

When did interracial marriages become a big issue in the state of Virginia?
 When they returned home and tried to begin life as newlyweds, they were hauled out of

bed and off to jail for their crime of marrying each other ( Wallenstein 17). An African

American woman by the name of Mildred Loving and a Caucasian man named Richard Loving

were both asleep in bed when three armed police officers found out they have gotten married

several weeks earlier and burst into their room. The couple were taken to jail where Mildred

remained for quite a few days, all for the crime of getting married. Unfortunately, during that

time less than twenty-five states across the county had laws that prohibited the marriage between

two people of different races. In 1963, Mr. and Mrs. Loving approached the American Civil

Liberties Union to fight their case in court. Four years later, the Supreme Court ruled that laws

prohibiting interracial marriage were unconstitutional. Not often do people wonder why Virginia

was known as the state for lovers. Ironically after the Virginia vs. Loving supreme court case

love was the only thing the state of Virginia had for one another.

What do people think about making interracial marriages illegal?

Although, great strides in race relations have been made around the United States, racial

divisions have not vanished at all. A big factor that may play a role in the low rates of Black-

White intermarriage may simply be the historical relationship between the two. interactions

between Black and Whites remain much different than the interactions between Whites and other

minorities. (Rosenblatt 221) Even today, many Whites report that they consider relationships

with Blacks less acceptable than relationships with Latinos or Asians. (Childs) Although slavery

has been abolished for more than 100 years ago, there is still racial tension left behind that make

the bond and connection between blacks and white extremely complex. Old stereotypes that

paint relationships between Blacks and Whites as immoral, vulgar, or purely sexual, still
linger (Childs 220). Another commonly held stereotype, in both the Black and White

communities, is that Blacks marry Whites to gain a higher social status. (Foreman and Nance)

The table below contains the unscientific study which was conducted during the month of

March at Hampton University to determine how many people think interracial marriages should

become illegal. There were twenty people surveyed and they were all asked the same exact

question: Do you think interracial marriages should be illegal or legal around the United

States? Thirty-percent of the participants thought that interracial marriages should become

illegal around the United States. Seventy-percent of the participants believed that it was perfectly

okay to see two people of different races together and that it should remain legal. The

unscientific study was dominantly female at a fifty-five percentage and African-Americans at a

seventy-five percentage. All participants were either high school seniors, attending college, or

had graduated already. The survey then asked those who participated to write down their birth

place, age, and marital status. (See Table 1)

Based on the information gathered, most people who were married and elderly said that

interracial marriages should not be legal at all. One of the participants justified her answer to the

illegalization saying When I met Lincoln back in the 60s there was no dating the opposite race.

I grew up knowing that I would marry me a nice chocolate man. Another participant who said

he was all for interracial marriages explained that, people should have the free will to marry

whomever they choose. If two people want to be together, why ruin that happiness? He

continued by saying, A lot of people tend to look down on my relationship because my

girlfriend is white but what they dont understand is I have never felt this type of true love until I

met her and the feeling is amazing. Majority of the participants felt that interracial relationships
were becoming more accepted over time, due to the openness of the younger generation to this

practice.

As mentioned before, the birth place of the participants was analyzed to examine its

possible impact of peoples opinion on interracial marriages. After reviewing the data, it was

clear to see that the South had the hardest time accepting interracial relationships more so then

any other region of the country. In a sense, racism still exists. It will continue to exist because it

thrives on ignorance. Until the ignorance end, racism will never truly be eradicated. From day

one, we notice differences whether it is based on someones appearance, skin, their accent, or any

other physical feature, we are programmed to categorize people and notice these variations of the

human race.

# Gender Race Age Religion Legal or No Birth- Education Status

place
1 Male Black 19 Baptist Legal SC Sophomor Single
e
2 Female White 19 N/A Legal VA Freshman Single
3 Male Black 21 N/A Legal NC Junior Single
4 Male Black 20 Catholic Legal DC Junior Dating
5 Female Black 18 Catholic Legal NC Freshman Single
6 Female Black 17 N/A Illegal AL HS Senior Single
7 Male White 19 Christia Legal NC Freshman Dating
n
8 Female Black 21 N/A Legal MA Junior Single
9 Male Black 59 Baptist Illegal NC N/A Marrie
d
10 Female White 36 Catholic Legal NY GRAD Marrie
d
11 Male Black 44 N/A Illegal SC N/A Marrie
d
12 Female Black 49 N/A Illegal SC N/A Marrie
d
13 Female White 19 Catholic Legal SC Freshman Single
14 Male Black 20 Baptist Legal VA N/A Dating
15 Female Black 18 Baptist Legal VA HS Senior Single
16 Female Black 25 Baptist Legal SC GRAD Dating
17 Male White 18 Catholic Legal TX Freshman Single
18 Female Black 63 Baptist Illegal SC N/A Marrie
d
19 Male Black 65 Baptist Illegal SC N/A Marrie
d
20 Female Black 20 N/A Legal NY Junior Single
Table 1: Survey responses to the question, Do you think interracial marriages should be illegal
or legal around the United States?
How does interracial marriages affect the child?

According to a CNN report: for example, students who described their race as both

2wsblack and white reported more difficulties than those who considered themselves solely

black or solely white. Its hard to imagine what it would be like for a child who does not really

know where he or she belongs. The most upsetting part would have to be if they were the victim

of being disliked because they may not be considered black enough or white enough for the

other children. The most common explanation for the high-risk status is the struggle with identity

formation. This barrier on a child would more than likely lead to lack of self-esteem, social

isolation, and problems of family dynamics in biracial households. Ignoring race is flawed

because racial identity is unavoidable and has very real effects. Sometimes the best answer to

these types of problems are recognition of racial consequences, and teaching children about the

possible costs.

"The child of dual heritage is not likely to have equal exposure to both of her cultural

heritages" (Morrison & Rogers 30). This means that the socialization of a biracial or bicultural

child tends to be much higher in one culture than the other. At an early stage of these childrens

lives they become aware of being different. The child will also eventually become familiar with

the values, perceptions, and typical behaviors of the two cultural systems.

How does marrying interracially impact the culture of ones family?

 Culture is an individuals belief system and values. These include various identities such

as nationality, religion, and family country of origin. Socioeconomic, historical, and political

factors also influence culture. Less than one percent of all interracially married couples consist

of two non-white spouses. Most interracial couples consist of a white spouse with an Asian,

Hispanic, or African-American spouse. (Fields 4) Based on the scholarly journal Race and

Religion in the Bible Belt, interfaith usually tends to come along with interracial marriage.

Research data was used from a 2007 Georgia Southwestern Omnibus Community Survey to

determine whether opposition becomes stronger as the intimate level between a union grows.

After observations and surveys, it was true that the level of opposition toward interfaith unions

increases as the relationship became more intimate. Results indicate that religious importance is

a more significant predictor of interfaith opposition than religious affiliation. In addition, white

parents exhibit greater opposition toward interfaith dating and marriage than black parents.

(Sahl)

Three of the five Catholics that were interviewed in the unscientific study, two females

and one male, stated that their families expected them to marry a Catholic. Another Catholic

female that was interviewed explained that, If I married anyone who was non-Catholic, my

child would have no choice but to be raised as a Catholic. Religion seemed to play an important

role for the parents of the Caucasians, as these families were both Catholic and desired for their

children to marry within their faith. On the other hand, two out of seven Baptists that were

interviewed, both male, stated that their families are quite objective when it comes to how they

want to raise their child. Interracial marriages are just like any others, with the couples joining

for mutual support and looking for ways of making their personal interactions and parenting

skills work in harmony. (NY Times)

 Conclusion

In conclusion, the information obtained throughout the entire literature review report

corresponded with the four initial questions. Out of all twenty personnel that were interviewed

only four admitted to currently being in an interracial relationship. Many of the factors that

influenced individuals who have or would consider interracially dating were comparable to one

another. Education ranked the highest amongst the group whereas religion ranked the second to

the highest. It was also interesting to see the type of societal views that made concrete

assumptions about interracial dating. The results examined that older generations had a stronger

opinion and disapproval. Furthermore, the idea of the race card being mentioned within and

outside of the relationship also played a role. Location was another key element that had a

significant part in influencing the decision. The findings at the conclusion of the study suggest

that families do play a crucial role on a persons decision to engage in an interracial relationship.

The study also suggests that the more experience an individual has with interracial dating, the

more open they will be to the idea in general. After the United States Supreme Court ruled anti-

miscegenation laws unconstitutional came an interracial baby boom and a humongous increase in

the proportion of interethnic and interracial marriages in the United States.

 Work Cited:

Baars, Madeline. "Marriage in Black and White: Women's Support for Law ..." N.p., n.d. Web.

13 Mar. 2017.

<https://depts.washington.edu/chid/intersections_Winter_2009/Madeline_Baars_Marriag

e_in_Black_and_White.pdf>.

Bellamy, Brandi. Survey on Interracial Marriages. 10 Feb 2017. Print

Childs, Erica Chito. Navigating interracial borders: Black- White couples and their social

worlds. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. 2005.

Kennedy, Lisa. "Opinion: How the Lovings changed our American lives." CNN. Cable News

Network, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2017. <http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/02/opinions/loving-

movie-interracial-marriage-kennedy/>.

"Loving." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

<https://www.aclu.org/feature/loving>.

"Loving v. Virginia." LII / Legal Information Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.

<https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/388/1>.

Piper, John. "The Ethics of Interracial Marriage." Desiring God. N.p., 14 Feb. 2001. Web. 14

Mar. 2017. <http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-ethics-of-interracial-marriage>.

Rosenblatt, Paul C. Multiracial couples: Black and White voices. Thousand Oaks,

CA, 2000. Sage Publications.

Sahl, Allison Heard. "Sociological Spectrum." Taylor and Francis Online. N.p., 09 June 2011.

Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

<http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02732173.2011.574043?

scroll=top&needAccess=true>.

Wallenstein, Peter. Race, Sex, and Freedom to Marry. Kansas: U Press of Kansas, 2014. Print.