The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

The Bates Student

The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

The Bates Student

The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

The Bates Student

Interracial Relationships: It’s Complicated

By now, I am confident that everyone has seen Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” Outside of the film insinuating that being in an interracial relationship could lead you to imminent death with your organs being implanted into white people, it was a realistic take on how controversial engaging in an interracial relationship can be. Today, many people are skeptical about interracial relationships because of both the over-sexualization of black people and the connotation of white people as the status mark of “making it.” When it comes to the over-sexualization of black people, it’s often said that, “once you go black, you’ll never go back.” This should already be enough of an explanation as to why I think black people are oversexualized, but I’ll go a little deeper. Black men are usually sought after because media has portrayed them as having a larger penis than men in other racial groups, which makes them a target for white women who want to be more sexually adventurous. Black women, generally, are thought to have larger breasts and butts than women from other racial groups, which attracts white men who also want to be sexually adventurous. Both parties are used as sex objects rather than treated like human beings. In some of these interracial relationships, black people are used for pleasuring their partners only to be thrown away later, as if they’re on par with sex toys. Some of the white people in these interracial relationships don’t care if their partners have dignity, they only care about being pleased sexually and the social gratification they get for being with someone from a sexually-exploited identity. White people are also objectified in the sense that black people see them as a sign of political and social advancement. White women have this trope of being a “trophy,” meaning that when a black man becomes successful, he marries a white woman to be seen as competent, a trend that is especially common in sports culture. After scoring major deals in their contracts, many black athletes will marry white women to be seen as more appealing because of negative stigmas about black women being loud and aggressive spouses. Not only do they marry white women, but they marry white women who appropriate black features. Instead of holding white people accountable for ridiculing black women for their body types, black men are letting them emulate the same features when it’s convenient for them. In the same vein, white men are seen as powerful due to their white privilege. White men provide social and financial stability because, unlike people of color, they aren’t targeted on a daily basis for their race. Many have also acquired generational wealth due to the disenfranchisement and exploitation of other groups. For me, when I think about the pedestal some black people put white people on, it’s pretty unsettling. I see us as not viewing our own culture as capable of being professional or having the ability to acquire wealth. Now, I know it seems like I don’t believe in interracial coupling, but I do. I believe that you can be in an interracial relationship, as long as there is no ulterior motive behind it. And you will know if there is. If the white person in the relationship can speak on black issues eloquently and believes in the social, political, and economic advancement of black people, then interracial coupling is fine. To the same token, as long as black people can respect their culture and educate their white counterpart about their race, then it’s fine. I believe that interracial relationships are lovely as long as the two individuals respect each other and the cultures they come from.

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