At dinner today I had a conversation about the pros and cons of interracial dating, cultural mixing and appropriation. A deep discussion to have over Jerk Chicken a la Lord Saunders. Since I was very young I strongly believed in the idea of interracial dating. I dreamed of the day when the concept of race that has for so long intruded upon almost every aspect of society and has been the fuel for hate, violence and the concentration of power would crumble. I felt that interracial interaction and interracial dating in particular would be the best way to accomplish this. Racism and hate both have their foundations in ignorance and through interactions this might slowly come to be replaced by knowledge and acceptance. I've realized, however, that it's not only those in power who have an investment in making sure that our self-constructed boundaries remain intact. Many unique cultures exist in this world and to some extent they can become diluted and changed when they are influenced by others. It is true that the world we live in is becoming increasingly homogenized. This fear that we'll all become part of one monolithic culture has even some of the most liberal among us advocating forms of segregation and cultural purity.
Some feel that the differences between cultures are just two vast to sustain any form of intimate relationship. But by refusing to get involved with people of different races and cultures we only deepen this chasm. I believe that in a world as diverse as ours it's a shame to be able to live your whole life knowing nothing about cultures other than your own but so many of us do it. We live our whole lives rely on stereotypes and conjecture to tell us about the people who live on the other side of the fence. Must we give up our culture in order to share it? In Elementary School we were told about the history of Hanukkah and would play with dreidels during recess. Has it lost any of it's power and meaning as a result?
When I think of a melting pot I don't imagine the smaller cultures being dissolved into the dominant one. Cultural appropriation brings problems of its own. I see sharing, understanding and learning. This is exactly what I feel our country needs when battle lines are still sharply drawn even as new ones are being formed. I'm not arguing that the only good relationship is an interracial one or that only interacting with people of your own culture is detrimental but that in a such a diverse society can we really afford to not learn about those around us or allow other people to learn about us? Though tragic, it was love that finally brought the Montagues and Capulets together. Love has no litmus test because love is love no matter what size, shape, color, or culture the one you give your heart to happens to be. It's the Ace that trumps them all. Even if we are just a great cultural salad bowl we must mix and interact. No one puts all their carrots on one side, all the lettuce on another and pour the dressing around it all. And if you do...well that's just plain weird.
