For sometime now (years) I have been observing the increase in dating across ethnic lines. As a product of the fifties, I grew up in a very homogenous environment.
When I was very young, 7 or 8, a Jewish congregation bought a property near my house. My great uncle was very concerned about this and when the first service was held, copied license plate numbers of cars parked on the streets. (Locals, of course, parked in their driveways or garages.) He was relieved to discover that they were from "out of town". It was some years later that I realized the irony of that - he was Irish Catholic and when he moved to town, neither he nor the first catholic church were welcome. I, of course, was safely a WASP. (In fact, on St. Patricks day, my mother used to be sure I wore something orange. My great aunt had married this infamous heathen.) At the time of the synogue opening, my Irish Catholic great uncle was a respected member of the community, but Italians were suspect and as you can guess, Jews were discouraged. By the time I was in high school no one paid much attention to religion or whether one was Irish, catholic or whatever. Although, the community was still all white, well not quite some asian families had moved in.
I find it very comforting and exhilarating, these days, to see so many couples both in real life and in art (movies, theater, ....) who would have been inconceivable in the past.
It is my firm belief that the future of this country lies in the melting of ethnic divides through dating and marriage. Surprisingly enough, it seems as if many Americans have learned the Romeo and Juliet lesson.
It is multi-ethnic couples and families that will lead us to the next stage. That will bring more and more people to see that we are all 'just folks'. That will over time erode the ethnic stereotypes. They will do this dragging their families and friends along with them.
When I was very young, 7 or 8, a Jewish congregation bought a property near my house. My great uncle was very concerned about this and when the first service was held, copied license plate numbers of cars parked on the streets. (Locals, of course, parked in their driveways or garages.) He was relieved to discover that they were from "out of town". It was some years later that I realized the irony of that - he was Irish Catholic and when he moved to town, neither he nor the first catholic church were welcome. I, of course, was safely a WASP. (In fact, on St. Patricks day, my mother used to be sure I wore something orange. My great aunt had married this infamous heathen.) At the time of the synogue opening, my Irish Catholic great uncle was a respected member of the community, but Italians were suspect and as you can guess, Jews were discouraged. By the time I was in high school no one paid much attention to religion or whether one was Irish, catholic or whatever. Although, the community was still all white, well not quite some asian families had moved in.
I find it very comforting and exhilarating, these days, to see so many couples both in real life and in art (movies, theater, ....) who would have been inconceivable in the past.
It is my firm belief that the future of this country lies in the melting of ethnic divides through dating and marriage. Surprisingly enough, it seems as if many Americans have learned the Romeo and Juliet lesson.
It is multi-ethnic couples and families that will lead us to the next stage. That will bring more and more people to see that we are all 'just folks'. That will over time erode the ethnic stereotypes. They will do this dragging their families and friends along with them.