The Meaning of Marriage

Having discussed in class the impact and change of the complexity of interracial marriage, I stated to reflect on my own experience. Coming from a family who follows Judaism and holds the traditions very seriously, my family has made it very clear to me that I must marry a Jewish man. My mother tells my sister and me al the time that we should only date and take men seriously who are Jewish, in order to keep the familiar traditions going. My mom made is so apparent that once when I mentioned the name of an Italian boy I just met, my mother said, "sorry, but you will not date men whose last names end in a vowel" (stating a stereotype that people whose last name end in a vowel are not Jewish). I happened to be appalled by that connotation, for my mother does not have an open mind to the idea that maybe there are more important arts to a person and a relationship than only religion. However, with my mom’s persistence I am living my life knowing I have to marry someone based on guidelines.

I found this incidence with my mom expressing her concern about family heritage to be very interesting after the lecture on interracial marriage. It made me think, is my mothers idea that different religions shall not mix as bad as saying that people of different races should not mix? I happen to think not, for I understand my mother is not saying that people of different religions are subordinate, she just wants me to carry on our family heritage and beliefs.

Interracial marriage is thus a separate issue, with different underlying meanings behind choosing to or not to marry someone of a different race. Interracial marriages have been increasing consistently from the 1970's to present- day. This is a very big step in the history of the world, where there was once a time that marrying someone of a different race was illegal. Loving Vs. Virginia marks a huge social change, and I believe times today confirm that racial barriers are weakening. I happen to know several couples who are interracially married, and are raising their children to be comfortable with their skin color and family history. I believe Hollywood has signified a change in times, with the many celebrities who are now interracially married. With celebrities such as Heidi Klum and Seal, these role models make interracial marriage seem "okay" and "socially acceptable" to the world. I believe that the more interracial marriages become prevalent, the more people's attitudes toward different races will change for the better.