Is race important in dating?

I really wish we'd start calling race (skin color) what it actually is: clinal variation. Skin color has everything to do with how far your ancestors lived in relation to the sun on the surface of the earth across generations. "Race" is entirely a social/man-made concept.

As far as dating it doesn't bother me at all. I've dated people of different "races" and it doesn't bother me in the least.

 

it don't bother me at all .

 

Let me start out by saying my preference is for gingers, but preference only deals with the surface of the person. I am much more concerned with the person themselves. I'd say religion, culture, and class have more to do with it. I would have difficulty with dating a Muslim, someone ignorant or street, someone lower class, or someone terribly younger than me.

Why? Largely, there would be too big hurdles to jump for me. My inability to relate and in turn their inability to relate to me. It's borrowing big problems. Birds of a feather do indeed flock together and by and large have more successful relationships from what I've read. Trying to mesh Christmas traditions or figure out what to serve at Easter or Thanksgiving can be a nightmare; and that's just for people with shared backgrounds.

Does it mean I'm a racist? I don't believe so. I've dated someone who was Irish, African, and Native American all rolled into one lovely man. We've remained close friends. I'll admit he was light-skinned, but he couldn't pass for white.

If I am treated well and respected for who I am race is unimportant.

 

It does not matter if you will not have kids, because it would not be right for any kids you had if there was a large contrast in skin colour, the children would be confused about their race.

Religion matters, because of the possibility of it wearing off, and it is offensive sometimes, some people of the same religion as I can be very offensive (but not by their definition of offence as something that changes your veiw of God or Jesus), but that has not ever happened with someone who is the same denomination as me.

Contrast in the skin colour matters if it is more than 75% and the two people plan on having kids.

But we are all one race, the human race.

 

Yes, I only date people who aren't racist pieces of shit.

 

^ Well said.

I find this baffling. If someone wants to explain this to me, feel free. Are all multiracial kids supposed to be "lost"? My father is a mix of two "races," and all of my family on his side is -- by extension, so am I, though to a lesser extent. There is no confusion whatsoever possible, since we all know where we came from. There's only a richness and diversity brought by two cultures and ethnicities meshing together beautifully.

I do not have the same skin color as my own brother, or the same hair texture, but I love how different we look and how our parents' genes managed to create two such as us. The contrast between my skin and my mother's, or my brother's skin and our father's, has never been an issue for us.

It saddens me that in this day and age, some people still view interracial relationships and their children as something to be avoided. I imagine that yes, there can be problems, but the question is not skin color, but rather, how the two cultures (if there is a difference in culture, which really is not a guarantee, based only on skin color) blend together and are mutually accepted by the parents.

(What I say here is colored by my own experience, which might have been different if I had been born in the US; racial issues are different everywhere. That said, when I was a child my family lived in the US, so I'm not coming at this as a total ignoramus, either.)

 

To me, race doesn't matter at all. Religion does because it is not a physical characteristic but a set of beliefs, I don't subscribe to any religion and have no intention to so I would find it hard dating someone who is strong about their religion, but as long as they don't try to impose it on me, I think it could work.

---------- Post added 16th Jun 2015 at 05:45 PM ----------

Regardless of racial issues, I think it is unacceptable that some people try to dictate who you should or shouldn't date/have children with. I am biracial and at times there were some cultural challenges but as you said it has nothing to do with color, it has to do with upbringing and I think that, overall, it is very enriching growing up exposed to different cultures.

 

Did Loving v Virginia happen, or am I completely retarded?

 

Huh.. My first reaction was 'no' and I thought the 'yes' reactions were sarcastic..

So apparently it is for other people.

 

I think with those who do have "racial preferences" it could probably be at least partly to do with the cross-race effect; you know, the old "they all look alike" statement.

It makes sense if a person is poorer at distinguishing between faces of another race, they will be probably less able to identify characteristics of beauty in that race (being able to pick up the nuances), or able to have a preference for one face over another.

Beauty is afterall relative and requires some degree of comparison or "standard" to be measured against. It is all about difference and contrast - being able to see the finer details (hence why beauty is so subjective).

It was interesting as there was a test for "Super Recognisers" in the news today which I passed. I'd hazard I would likely fail if asked to remember East-Asian faces though as I don't think I have as much recognition there.

 

If it's without a big dong, you're certainly doing it wrong.
XD

 

As long as they're intelligent, with a broad sense of humor, generous heart, open minded & with diverse interests, ethnicity doesn't matter. I'm white & must admit, though, that I am more attracted to those of black, Asian, Mediterranean, Native American & Middle Eastern descent.

 

Lol yes, that was my initial reaction (in addition to vomiting because it was so funny) after reading that apparent response. But then I looked at the said person's age... case and point.

 

I agree with everything you said, "race" should be a word reserved for D&D character sheets!

And no, I couldn't care less about skin color or cultural background, I love a person for who they are! Totally have a thing for red hair though, not gonna lie. :lol:

 

God, that's racist as fuck! #NotAllElves have good dexterity.

 

:roflmao: Crap, now I need to roll for diplomacy!

 

I'm normally attracted to other white men, and used to never be attracted to men of other races. As I've gotten older I'm attracted to men of other races once in awhile, but it has more to do with them as a person.

 

Has no one else considered calling out these people on their blatant and readily admitted racism? You should both be banned.

 

I think they are both pretty clearly caricaturizing the sexual racist position in order to make fun of people who actually are sexual racists.

It's not my rhetorical strategy. I prefer to call people out on their shit directly, but that hasn't won me too many friends around here... I'm sure that if I made fun of people, I'd probably get a little bit farther with making people realizing how much what they say and do hurts other people or at least shows low empathy. But aggression, not humor, is my style.