Interracial marriages have become an evident positive phenomenon of the present-day United States, but there are still those who share obsolete views and object to them. Bhusal (2017) states that systemic racist discrimination in the country persists despite recent efforts aimed at equality. Rockquemore and Henderson (2015) explore the issue in the context of interracial marriage history in the United States. It is said that about 7.5 percent of marriages are interracial, but pairs of white and black people form the least likely combination (Rockquemore & Henderson, 2015). The issue is further aggravated by the occurrences of white patrolling when white people are discouraged from pursuing happiness with spouses of color by their friends, peers, and even relatives (Rockquemore & Henderson, 2015). This problem is particularly topical for white men, who may experience additional pressure from their white supremacist peers.
Nevertheless, such marriages contribute to the overall fight against white supremacy, as white partners develop a more in-depth understanding of the matter through intimate relationships with people of color. Rockquemore and Henderson (2015) refer to this phenomenon as racial cognizance or racial literacy, consisting of six daily practices. It is through this model of thinking that people become truly aware of the nature of discrimination.
The described process allows for a quality transition of white people toward racial literacy. White people must recognize “the symbolic and material value of Whiteness” to proceed to the next point when the nature of racial discrimination as a current topical issue rather than a historical matter is acknowledged (Rockquemore & Henderson, 2015, p. 108). Next, white partners understand that racial identities are, in fact, learned and acquire appropriate vocabulary to address the issue of racism and its repercussions. Consequently, they are able to interpret racialized practice within the framework of critical thinking correctly. Finally, white partners acquire the ability to analyze the issue of racism in the greater context of discrimination by class, gender, and sexual identity (Rockquemore & Henderson, 2015). The six aspects described above lead toward a deeper understanding of racial disparities. As a result, white partners become capable of shifting from a color-blind paradigm to the more appropriate, racially literate worldview, which enables them to take an argument-supported stance against racial discrimination.
References
Bhusal, A. (2017). The rhetoric of racism and anti-miscegenation laws in the United States. Journal of Arts & Humanities, 4(2), 83–89. Web.
Rockquemore, K. A., & Henderson, L. (2015). Interracial families in post-civil rights America. In B. J. Risman, & V. E. Rutter (Eds.), Families as they are (2nd ed) (pp. 99-111). New York: W. W. Norton.