History is filled with controversy over interracial dating and marriage. Bans against interracial marriage have happened in South Africa, Canada, and Australia.

Many of the feelings that people have against interracial dating and marriage stem from racist beliefs.  In the 1600’s US anti-miscegenation laws were passed to outlaw interracial marriage and dating. In 1924 the Virginia Racial Integrity Act required new born babies to have their race recorded and marriages between a white and nonwhite person was a felony.

Even in the 1980’s and 90’s interracial marriage was considered abnormal. Few people would have considered it natural which is a big difference from today. Now 15 percent of new marriages are between spouses of different ethnicity, which is very different from the 6 percent in the 1980’s.

Interracial marriage has been ruled a constitutional right since 1967 but only 48% supported dating between African Americans and Caucasians. Now a whopping 83% say they support interracial dating and marriage.

Sophomore Corina Urbina said, “I think people are more accepting because people respect people more and people are less judgmental.”

Nowadays interracial marriage and dating has become culturally accepted and encouraged, which helps to blur the lines between races. The stigma against interracial relationships is quickly going away.

Freshman Amiyah Lytle said, “I think [the state of interracial couples] has changed more [now] than in the past. There are more interracial couples now which are good because love has no boundaries. It’s a plus for me because I like boys that are not my race.”

There is a generational gap for some people in the way younger people view interracial couples and the way some elders view interracial couples. When 18- 20 year olds were asked if they thought interracial marriage was “a change for the better for society” 61 percent said yes, but when asked the same question, only 28 percent of those 65 and older said yes.

Sophomore Sarah Phillips said, “I believe that interracial couples don’t face struggles the way they used to, but they do continue to face judgment, whether it comes from people of earlier generations or people [that are] our age.”

Interracial dating and marriage has come a long way from what it was. Multiracial marriage has increased statistically and in popularity.