Interracial Marriage

[Nikhila Kulkarni]

I think interracial marriages can bring about a change in shaping the societal norms; however another reason for it to accepted more openly is that it also benefits society by the mixed gene pool. Two different races have two very different gene pools and that helps in suppressing some booming health conditions and recessive genetic conditions as well.

[ElizaBeth Adams]

I believe that interracial marriages are totally acceptable; though some of Kalayla's family troubles could be attributed to this. This book was set, I believe, in the late 90's and in some places interracial marriage was still seen as taboo during this time.

[Ngozi Onyibor]

I am from a multi-tribal country and even though marriages between different tribes are commonplace, assimilating the culture and language of each partner is often difficult. I imagine that biracial couples have it worse. While biracial marriages are more acceptable now than in the past, I don't think they are necessarily easier than they used to be.

[shirleym89]

Interracial relationships are more acceptable much more now than they were in the olden days. Perhaps people have more accepting of each others differences.

[GianKosi77]

Gone are the days when parents could choose life partners for their children. As a result, interracial marriages have become more popular and even accepted. However, the acceptance is not fully on goodwill; there is nothing the parents can do to prevent that. That is why the likes of Kalayla will continue to suffer silently in such relationships.

[Nedbrian]

Well, frankly I am in support of biracial marriage provided the both races have their culture respected and acknowledged both prior and after marriage. Often times, the bride drops and forgets her culture and this is what warrants many people to say no to biracial marriage

[Unique Ego]

Kalayla is biracial. What's your viewpoint on interracial marriages, especially in the present day? Do you think it's acceptable? Could it have contributed to the painful experiences that Kalayla goes through?

I don't care what era it is. I love interracial marriages. I think they're beautiful. Of course, given there will be trauma associated with it sometimes due to the painful race relations we've had historically. But an interracial is beautiful, just like any other marriage.

[Suzer6440 xyz]

Yes!!! Absolutely. There should be no question in my opinion As to if interracial marriages should be acceptable. Unfortunately not all people are excepting of this. But just because the color of our skin may be different , what matters is the love you feel in a relationship

[ashleymarie310]

When you are a child, everything impacts the painful experiences you go through. In 1999, it's very possible that being biracial could have contributed to her experiences just like it could in 2020. In my years working in schools, I've found that it tends to be the small things that build up to create difficult situations for children and open the door to insecurities about themselves that they never thought about before.

There are so many other things that could have contributed to her painful experiences like the loss of her father and the sudden change to the only life she knew. I'm sure that being biracial had an impact on her development, but I think it's more likely those huge life changes were more significant to her experiences.

[Sonya Nicolaidis]

Interracial marriages are more and more accepted and commonplace nowadays, and it really should not pose much of a problem, but the sad fact is that it does. Couples from different backgrounds still have to face a certain amount of prejudice, even amongst their own families, and many find they have to justify themselves as a couple. This shouldn’t be the case in today‘s diverse and inclusive world. The product of such relationships, the children, also have trouble identifying with either group and many feel like they don’t belong. Although we’ve come a long way, it’s a sad fact that we are still working this out as a society, and I hope that in the near future, all such prejudices will be a thing of the past.

[salvo_]

The world still has a ways to go, but social acceptance of interracial marriages is definitely not one of our most pressing concerns.

[Ashley Cremer]

I think that interracial marriage is definitely acceptable today but I think that many people still view it is a negative thing. Due to this, many people still experience hate and hardships from interracial marriages, whether they are a part of the marriage itself or whether they are a product of the marriage.

[Sue_neth_ak]

Kalayla is biracial. What's your viewpoint on interracial marriages, especially in the present day? Do you think it's acceptable? Could it have contributed to the painful experiences that Kalayla goes through?

Interracial marriage is actually a good thing, in my opinion. However, there are a lot of challenges that comes with it, despite the fact that it is an acceptable practice in the society.

The first and most prominent challenge is ironically 'acceptance'. While is a fact that the society and the law accepts interracial marriage, individuals and families have failed to accept this practice as easily as 'the society'. That is to say, it is acceptable so long as it does not directly affect a family. For instance, interracial marriage must have been legally and socially acceptable at the time this book is set in. However, that acceptance ended at the point where it was directly required of Maureen's family. This is not to say that there aren't families or individuals who have embraced interracial marriage. This however, is to point out the irony of societal acceptance without individual acceptance.
Another major challenge of interracial marriage would be clash of cultures. This also happens in inter-country marriage (if there's a word like that), and even in inter-ethnic marriage.This one too partially hinges on acceptance, although it is more easily resolveable.

So, in response to whether interracial marriage contributed to the pain Kalayla experiences, I say yes. For one, I believe Kalayla would have had a happier childhood if she had grown up with her maternal family's love and acceptance. Her mother, Maureen would have also been happier if she had received her family's blessings and acceptance. She also wouldn't have suffered financial difficulties to the extent that she did in this book because, she would have had her family's encouragement and contribution. Interracial marriage was the indirect cause of all these. More precisely, Maureen's family's reaction to interracial marriage was the primary cause of her pain.

Nonetheless, I still think interracial marriage is a good thing that would be enjoyed at it's best.

I like how you've stated your facts. There are indeed a lot of challenges that come along with interracial marriages and some I feel that aren't worth all the trouble. Then again, as long as two people really want it, it comes down to whether they can hang on till the end.

[Moocow1213]

Interracial marriage is definetly acceptable. And as many individuals have said in this thread, acceptance about interracial marriage is a real issue, and many couples still have to justify their marriage to others. Which is completley and utterly wrong.

[athurst123]

I do not see anything wrong with interracial marriages. Today it seems so common and people are typically more open-minded towards the idea of it. As someone who is not biracial, I do not know what that experience is like, however, I do believe it could play a part in Kalayla's painful life experiences.