Dating Outside of Your Race

Interracial Dating by Kayla McCullough

Photography by Getty Images/Earl Gibson III

Did you know that every 1 in 5 relationships starts by some sort of online dating site? Pretty impressive, right? Knowing that it’s easier to understand why hundreds of online dating sites and apps have sprung up in the last ten years. This newer way of meeting people has multiple benefits – one of the most important being diversity. Interracial relationships are culturally enriching. They open up a different worldview, and in today’s climate, we may need that more than ever.

However, an opening of that worldview doesn’t have to mean fetishization or tokenization. According to research, when online dating, people actually have around a 30% chance of matching with someone outside of their racial norm. And according to the US Census, the percentage of married-couple households that were interracial or interethnic grew across the United States from 7.4 to 10.2% from 2000 to 2016 with Hawaii and Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia increasing by 4.24 percentage points or more. These numbers show that interracial couples are on the rise in the United States.

So, with that said, who is adopting the mindset of “swirl dating” and where are you able to meet thousands of singles, all from different backgrounds?

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

Celebrity couples such as Crissy Teigen and John Ledged have to be one of the most well-known interracial couples within the Millennial generation. Crissy Teigen, model and popular social media personality, is half-Thai and half-white. While John Legend, musician and singer, is Black. In an interview with USA Today, Legend opened up about what it’s like to raise mixed-race children and why he believes race is a social construct.

“It’ll be interesting because our child will be mixed, you know? They’ll be part Asian, part white and part black,” Legend said. “So, it’ll be interesting just to give out even the idea of what race means—because it is a social construct that isn’t really based on biology—or even thinking about how they’ll identify themselves and what that’ll mean.”

The idea of assuming someone’s personality and behavior based on their race and ethnicity is problematic. However, with the change that the world is facing right now, by the time their children grow up, the way race is viewed will hopefully be changed.

Photography by Getty Images/Frazer Harrison

---

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

It’s no secret that plenty of celebrities have received negative comments and hate for being an interracial couple. Kim Kardashian, who comes from a mixed relationship to start off with, and Kanye West, who is Black, are not immune to the hate. The reality star and singer have learned to brush off the haters and keep walking on the path of love.

Photography by Getty Images/Roy Rochlin

---

Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery

And talking about love itself, the famous actor who has a certain way of finding herself in many life-altering relationships while acting on TV, is also in an interracial relationship. Contrary to what happens while being on Grey’s Anatomy, Pompeo has found life-long love with her husband Chris Ivery.

Photography by Getty Images/Andrew Toth

Interracial relationships open a way of communicating difficult topics, encourages a healthy dialogue and initiates learning about a new culture. If you are single and you’re looking to expand your horizons and enjoy “swirl dating”, then here are 100% free interracial dating sites.