Interracial relationships: What Each Partner Should Know
A common misconception seems to be that mixed-race relationships don’t work. This may be surprising to some in 2019, but even with the improvements we’ve made socially towards racial equality and cultural integration, many believe that people from different races and cultures can’t successfully date.
Here’s a list to help anyone who’s in a relationship with someone from another race. Biracial dating can indeed be a beautiful thing.
Create a solid foundation for your relationship
This is true not only for people in an interracial relationship but for all relationships. There are a few key parts to a successful relationship, that when applied, will make any issues coming up because of different opinions due to culture, much easier to deal with. Couples need to be on the same team. This means that trust and communication are vital.
We need to be able to feel accepted at our most vulnerable. This authentic self, when loved, bypasses all races and cultures. You should feel that you can trust someone, and you can talk about things when something culturally insensitive bothers you. Then, if the relationship is solid, your partner should be willing to listen and adapt or accept any differences between you.
Get comfortable with talking about races
Inevitably, when you’re in a relationship with someone from a different race, you’re going to have to talk about it — a lot. Silence is the enemy when it comes to relationships. If you have a problem, you need to be able to talk about it.
Similar to when you start having conversations about where you want to live, and ideas about marriage and children, you need to talk about racial issues to make sure you both understand.
An excellent place to start is to ask about their childhood and how diverse it was, if they have dated someone of a different race before, and what their parents thought about it.
Don’t make assumptions about someone because of their race
This may seem like an obvious point, but it should still be noted that even the most culturally aware people can fall back into stereotypes accidentally. Just because you have a friend that is of the same race as the person you’re dating, this won’t necessarily mean they hold the same views or traditions.
We live in a diverse world where people’s backgrounds and beliefs aren’t predetermined by race.
Talk to other people in interracial relationships
This can be particularly important when you’re starting to date someone, or have come to an issue in your relationship and aren’t sure how to move forward.
There’s a good chance that someone else has gone through the same thing, and can give you advice on the way forward. If you don’t know anyone in person, reach out online or watch videos on the topic. You may be able to find the advice you need.
