Deja Vu: The struggle for interracial marriages
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:05 pm
In 1948, the California Supreme Court made California the first state since Reconstruction to overturn a ban on miscegination (now a delightfully antiquated term for racially mixed marriages).
Was this 'Judicial activism'? Gallup conducted their first poll on interracial marriage 10 years later: in 1958. 96% of white Americans disapproved of interracial marriage.
Perfect circular thinking. You can't break the cycle of prejudice because it would expose your children to prejudice. Great courage, Brother Kimball!
A the time of President Obama's birth to a racially-mixed couple in Hawaii, his parent's marriage would have been illegal in 17 states.
Now 86% of Americans approve of interracial marriage.
And now this week's rulings of Gay Marriage. As Yogi Berra observed "It's Deja Vu all over again."
Was this 'Judicial activism'? Gallup conducted their first poll on interracial marriage 10 years later: in 1958. 96% of white Americans disapproved of interracial marriage.
Spencer W. Kimball wrote:The interrace marriage problem is not one of inferiority or superiority. It may be that your son is better educated and may be superior in his culture, and yet it may be on the other hand that she is superior to him. It is a matter of backgrounds. The difficulties and hazards of marriage are greatly increased where backgrounds are different. For a wealthy person to marry a pauper promises difficulties. For an ignoramus to marry one with a doctor's degree promises difficulties, heartaches, misunderstandings, and broken marriages.
When one considers marriage, it should be an unselfish thing, but there is not much selflessness when two people of different races plan marriage. They must be thinking selfishly of themselves. They certainly are not considering the problems that will beset each other and that will beset their children.
If your son thinks he loves this girl, he would not want to inflict upon her loneliness and unhappiness; and if he thinks that his affection for her will solve all her problems, he should do some more mature thinking.
We are unanimous, all of the Brethren, in feeling and recommending that Indians marry Indians, and Mexicans marry Mexicans; the Chinese marry Chinese and the Japanese marry Japanese; that the Caucasians marry the Caucasians, and the Arabs marry Arabs."
Perfect circular thinking. You can't break the cycle of prejudice because it would expose your children to prejudice. Great courage, Brother Kimball!
A the time of President Obama's birth to a racially-mixed couple in Hawaii, his parent's marriage would have been illegal in 17 states.
Now 86% of Americans approve of interracial marriage.
And now this week's rulings of Gay Marriage. As Yogi Berra observed "It's Deja Vu all over again."