At times, love is found in the most unexpected places. What is more? You can find yourself totally in love with someone, whose identity and lifestyle totally differs from yours.
Interracial marriage is a form of marriage outside a specific social group, involving spouses who belong to different races. In the past, there are rules guiding who you fall in love with and the rule is strictly against interracial marriage.
In South Africa and USA, interracial marriage was outlawed and anti-miscegenation rules were put in place. Anti-miscegenation rules are rules sternly prohibiting interracial marriages and sex. However, with more enlightenment and development, the rules were amended. This is not without an aftermath; some people are still strongly against these types of marriages.
Interracial marriages have its benefits cultural-wise and the most important is cultural integration. “Go into the world and multiply”, how do we multiply if we are stuck in the same geographical space?
Interracial marriage encourages a mix in cultural ideology, financial growth and national stability. In an article by Cooper, he says: “the ability to integrate culturally has been ranked as more important to the success of acquisitions than financial and strategic factors.”
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In the same vein, different cultural lifestyle means a different way of thinking; different values, different beliefs, and different lifestyles. Living together with someone from a different culture will empower you to approach issues from a different point of view and transform you into a more open-minded person.
However, there has been a stance by some people against this type of marriage basically because of the rate at which some Africans marry outside their races basically for selfish reasons.
The basic reason being acquiring the “green card”, a symbol for international citizenship. There have been a reoccurrence of this which has caused a breach of trust among people in these countries and people from Africa, hence, making it difficult to actualise interracial marriages.
However, the difficulties have not outweighed the success and importance.
Uche Jumbo and Husband | IMAGE: Instagram
There are some successful marriages. The popular actress Ufuoma McDermott married her sweetheart who is an English man, Steven McDermott, and they have two beautiful kids Isio and Kesiena. Their marriage is over ten years old, and so far, everything has been going great. This has not ended in tears and probably will never do.
Another example is the Nollywood A-list actress and producer Uche Jombo who walked down the aisle with her American-Puerto Rican husband, Kenny Rodriguez in 2012. They are still happily together and with a son.
Let no one tell you cannot marry outside your race or ethnic group.
Interracial marriages and intertribal marriages are slightly related. In Nigeria, there have been diverse tribal wars which have led to parents giving rules as to whom to marry and who not to. Often, there are fallacies which are used to back this point of view.
In some instances, Yorubas are not given the liberty to marry Igbos or Hausas and vice-versa, the beliefs that back these decisions stem from events in the past, stories or tales is being passed across from generations to generations, hence, hindering cultural amalgamation.
However, people are soaring above past beliefs which relegate people to underdevelopment. There have been a series of marriages between people of different tribes in Nigeria. With people having an enlightened mind and mixing in intertribal marriages, it becomes easy to achieve interracial marriages.
Interracial marriages help break the boundary of racial segregation which has been a cultural issue from the day of physical slavery. Mental slavery still abounds, however, with interracial marriages, every shackles of slavery is likely to be broken and shaken off.
Imagine a society where everyone mixes together with no inferiority complex or supremacist mindset, a society with interracial marriages.