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Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3A • Thursday, April 17, 2003
Colorblind romance
Interracial couples cross traditional dating boundaries
By Nishat Fatima
THE BATTALION
Every day in Aggieland, couples hold hands
as they walk around campus. Their displays of
affection are often met with “oohs” and “awws.”
However, many couples at Texas A&M stray
from the conventional idea of what couples look
like. They are the interracial couples, and their
unions spark a variety of reactions.
Since the Civil Rights movement, an
increasing number of people have established
biracial relationships. Once a
social taboo, this practice is
gradually becoming more com
mon in society.
Sociology professor Fenian
Chen said the increasing occur
rences of mixed ethnicity mar
riages are due to a change in atti
tudes toward what people value in
a relationship.
“Marriage is a reflection of
love and intimacy ” she said.
“When people find that in a rela
tionship outside of their race, they
are willing to overcome the social
barriers that come along with it.
Positive attitudes toward immi
grants have also contributed to
mixed race relationships.”
The degree of diversity in
American society has increased as
tt
We have never
had to deal with any
negativity as a
couple... this is
because people who
are more educated
have a better reac
tion to interracial
dating than others.
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some minority groups have high fertility rates and
others immigrate in large numbers, Chen said.
Chen said the shift in social stratification fac
tors can also be credited to the changing attitudes
toward biracial couples.
“Race is increasingly losing its significance
because it is being replaced by other factors
such as education and social class ” she said.
“There is also a trend for people to find spous
es who have the same social and economic
background as themselves, regardless of their
ethnic background. The criterion of a good
mate has shifted from race to somebody that is
economically sound.”
Friends and acquaintances tell Michael
Quintana and Liz Savage that they are a cute
couple. Quintana, a senior computer information
systems major, is part Spanish and part black,
while Savage, an aerospace engineering major, is
part English and part French. Many people
would agree that the couple is the best of all
worlds, and Quintana said they
have never faced adversity to
their relationship.
“We both came from diverse
backgrounds and even our social
circle is made up of a variety of
people,” Quintana said. “We have
never had to deal with any nega
tivity as a couple. I think this is
because people who are more
educated have a better reaction to
interracial dating than others.”
Although Quintanta’s relation
ship has not faced problems, he
said his interracial parents have.
“My father would visit some
clients of his, and sometimes they
would say negative things about
African Americans because it
never occurred to them that he
was married to an African
American lady,” he said. “When my dad told
them that his wife was black, they apologized
since they had put their foots in their mouths.”
Savage said the only minor barrier she had to
face was her mother’s apprehensions.
“My mother warned me that she had to make
a lot of compromises in her relationship with my
father due to cultural differences,” she said. “She
>9
ALISSA HOLLIMON • THE BATTALION
Michael Quintana, a senior computer information systems major, and Liz Savage, a graduate aerospace engi
neering major, walk their dog, Trinity, Wednesday afternoon. The couple has been dating for eight months.
—Michael Quintana
senior computer
information systems major
told me to be careful not to let our differences
get in the way of our relationship.”
Savage said the only cultural differences that
the couple has faced are minor arguments about
whether British music is better than American.
“I don’t think those arguments hurt our rela
tionship,” Savage said with a laugh.
Although some Americans promote diversity,
there are others who may have an inner demon to
battle with. Once inside their lives and homes,
their rules for racial tolerance may take on a
whole new meaning.
One student who wanted to be known as
Kathy said she is a member of an organization
that promotes diversity and has friends from
many different racial backgrounds. But, she said
she is not open to the idea of dating outside of
her, own race.
“I’m not racist by any means,” Kathy said.
“There are a lot of issues people have to consid
er before they attempt to date somebody. Aside
from facing scrutiny from society and family.
See Colorblind on page 4A
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