Over the past few decades, surges in immigration and globalisation have changed the racial landscape and increased racial diversity in many cities of the world.
One would imagine that this would increase the chances of entering an interracial relationship, and that is statistically correct. There are more interracial relationships now than have ever been.
This trend may suggest that many of us are more open-minded when it comes to love and interracial dating compared to previous generations.
But while interracial relationships may have the challenges of every normal relationship, they can come with additional complexities due to the primacy of how our racial identities shape our interactions.
The thing is many of us tend to make some assumptions about interracial relationships, but do we really understand how interracial couples experience their relationship together?
Some questions that might get you thinking about this differently are:
Do such couples view their relationship primarily through race or are they just like any two people coming together?
What struggles and challenges do they tend to face?
How do they perceive and negotiate their journey as a couple of different races and cultures?
What are relationships with extended family and outside influences like?
If you manage to come up with some answers, one key thing you might realise is that while we may see interracial couples and immediately see the differences in their skin colour, for them that might take the backstage as their identities and personalities remain the glue that holds them together just like every other couple out there.