By Elascha Davila-Hicks
What’s the color of love?
In the U.S., about 33 percent of people 18 or younger belong to racial minorities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 20 percent of public school students are immigrants or children of immigrants.
An environment of racial diversity in the nation has, understandably, led to an elevated rate of interrracial dating.
In fact, studies show that approval ratings among of mixed race dating among Americans is higher than ever.
The Midwestern community is no differerent.
MSU consists of a multicultural student body:
Hispanics – 9.2 percent
Black or African-American – 12.7 percent
Nonresident aliens – 7.4 percent
American Indian – 1 percent
Asian – 3.2 percent
Two or more races – 1.4 percent
Race or ethnicity unknown – 1.6 percent
White, non-Hispanic – 63.3 percent
Three MSU couples shared their perspectives on interracial dating as it becomes more commonplace in today’s society.
Freshmen Victoria Marshall and Jorge Espitia have been dating since they met at age 6, said Espitia.
Marshall is African-American and Espitia is Hispanic.
The racial difference doesn’t seem to pose much of a problem, though – people view them as any other couple and say they are good together.
“It’s not like back in the day where color matters,” Marshall said.
“We are both stubborn, strong-headed, determined, and like to be in charge of things,” Marshall said, laughing. The couple said it’s hard for them to be away from each other. They do everything together.
“We have our ups and downs just as the rest, but the only thing that separates us from other couples is that she’s African-American and I’m Mexican,” Espitia said. “At first it seemed a little odd because we have been such good friends since we were little. She literally was the girl across the street. Now she’s the girl of my dreams,” said Espitia.
When he told his parents he was dating a black girl they accepted their relationship.
“Sometimes people stare at us, but I don’t care what they think because I love her and I am going to marry her,” Espitia said.
Espitia and Marshall have the same favorite foods.
They love the same TV shows.
All of their classes are scheduled together.
And one day, they hope to make beautiful biracial children.
In 2008, a Gallup annual Minority Rights and Relations poll found that a majority of American people approve of interracial dating.
The approval numbers surged up especially in the younger generation. In fact, in the 18-29 year-old demographic, approval was almost at 100 percent.
The once frowned-upon idea of interracial dating has become a non issue to most American adults.
People in the 18-19 year-old category are also more prone to having dated someone from a different racial or ethnic background, according to the poll.
In addition to measuring the public’s attitudes toward interracial dating, the poll also measured the extent to which people have dated someone with similar or different racial and ethnic backgrounds from their own.
Torrey Dickey, an African-American, is dating Czechoslovakian Katrina Prehoda.
“People view us as best friends we love laughing together. We don’t see a color when we are with each other,” said Dickey. “It’s all fun and games with us two. We are both party animals,” Prehoda said.
The two instantly clicked and started dating after meeting at Spirit Days last summer.
“When we started dating and told our parents they were like ‘what the hell, why not?’ it’s a free country,” Dickey said. “Even though she’s blonde sometimes I wonder if she’s blacker than me.”
Freshmen Gio Olvera, who is Hispanic, and Chelsea Beaty, who is Caucasian, have been dating for about 18 months. The couple is from Garland, Texas and attended Garland High School together. The 18-year-olds have been neighbors for most their lives.
“I met Gio in algebra class. He was kind and sweet to me,” Beaty said. “He warned me about a guy that I had previously been dating that had cheated on me,” she said.
The two expected a much different world when they moved to Wichita Falls from the metroplex. It turns out that there is more racial assimilation here than they had anticipated.
“Now that we are here in Wichita we have seen more biracial babies than ever,” Beaty said.
In Garland, most of their friends were also in interracial relationships.
“Honestly, the only difference between us is our accents really,” Olvera said.
Olvera said he doesn’t view Beaty as being white – he views her as his love.
“Our parents are okay with our relationship as long as we treat each other fairly,” Chelsea said. “We love every single thing about one another, no matter what.”
“We have now started this new chapter in our lives together and we expect to end it together,” Olvera said.
“In Garland, most the population is made up of blacks and Hispanics but I am not intimidated at all,” Beaty said.
Since the couple comes from two different backgrounds, they share a lot of things and end up teaching one another.
“Some people stare at us weird and some guys even ask why I’m not with my own kind. I ignore them,” Beaty said.