Dating Across Color Lines

In a recent national poll, 57% of the teenagers who date said they have gone out with someone of another race or ethnic group. In 1980, only 17% said they had dated interracially. Will today’s teenagers be the first truly colorblind generation? Or is race still a factor in deciding who they socialize with? MAURA E. MONTELLANO spoke with some L.A. teens about interracial and interethnic dating.

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DAHIANNA LOPEZ

16, junior, Hollywood High School

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I was born in Mexico City; my mother is married to a Norwegian. When I was in Norway this past summer, I dated a Norwegian. My parents were cool with it since it’s the same situation between my mother and my stepfather.

Most of my friends believe in getting the races together and just being one. I have never dated an African American because I haven’t met someone who I have much in common with. But if I did, I would have no problem dating him.

There is a difference between having friends of different races and dating interracially. Having a relationship with someone of a different race takes a lot of understanding of cultures, traditions, religion. It’s different dating a Mexican than a Norwegian. With the Norwegian I had to understand a different language.

I know a lot of interracial couples. They are very happy together. No one gets hassled. In Los Angeles, it’s getting to be common to see African Americans and Asian Americans and whites and Latinos together. It’s not a big deal. If you went down South, it might be different.

Affirmative action is helping a lot. As long as minorities keep fighting for equal rights I think we’ll get to the point where there will be no more color lines.

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AMANDA LITT

16, junior, Ulysses S. Grant High School

I have never dated interracially but I have friends who have. My sister’s friend is white and her boyfriend is an African American. When they walk down the street people stare. Society seems not to be able to deal with this yet. People have commented that she needs to “stick to her own kind.” Her parents aren’t being very supportive.

I don’t think my generation is completely colorblind. In my school, we are segregated. We sit in class and pretend that we aren’t, but we are. I don’t think we are moving any closer to not having race be a factor. I think it will always be an issue.

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SHERONE HAKMAN

16, junior, Grant High School

I have not dated interracially but I have friends who do. I don’t have a problem with it, but some people do. People talk. I don’t think having friends of another race is different than dating them.

I am Jewish and if I got married I would be more concerned about the religion of my mate than her race.

I think our generation is colorblind for the most part. Here at Grant we are racially mixed and you see people talking to everybody else--blacks talk to Asians, Latinos, whatever. But at the same time we do still stick to our own kind. During nutrition class, it’s very obvious--you have the Armenians in one area, the Latinos in another. Looking back over the past 200 years, we are moving toward race not being a factor but we still have a long way to go.

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MINARA MARDAKHAYEVA

17, senior, Fairfax High School

Many of my friends have dated interracially. My parents wouldn’t approve of my dating interracially but they do let me choose who I date. If I met someone who I liked and they were of another race, I would date them. Everybody is open-minded here about race, including teachers. It would be OK to date and marry someone outside my race, but for me, it’s the religion that would be a problem. I’m not saying I would not marry someone who was not Jewish but it could be a problem in the long run. My parents instilled in me that marrying someone of the same religion and culture would be best for me. Dating is different from marrying.

I do believe the majority of my generation is colorblind. Fairfax is racially diverse and it’s easy to get to know people of other backgrounds. I believe our society is getting closer to a point where race is not factor. Years ago, interracial couples were judged harshly by society. Some states had laws against interracial marriages. Today, television ads show interracial relationships, movies feature interracial couples. I am influenced by what I see at school and my surroundings.