The Coming Out of Interracial Dating

When one is in a relationship with someone from a different race, whether dating or married, interracial relationships are no longer new. This phenomenon is common among Asian Americans. At the time the first Filipino and Chinese came to the United States of America in 1700s and 1800s respectively, they were restricted to men. However, some of them eventually got married with non-Asian women during their stay in the US. Soon, many people view the intermarriage between Asians and White Americans as a threat to the society. Thus, laws on anti-miscegenation were ratified prohibiting such marriages.

In history, the anti-miscegenation laws were first passed during 1600s as a way of preventing the freed Black slaves from marrying the Whites including the ban for biracial children to inherit properties. In 1967, at the height of Civil Rights Movement, the US Supreme Court ruled over Loving vs. Virginia case declaring those laws unconstitutional.

During that time 38 states had formal laws prohibiting non-Whites and Whites marriages. These laws were perceived to be a part of an even larger anti-Asian movement. Page Law of 1875 and Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 effectively eliminated the immigration of Chinese women to the US along with more restrictive stipulations. The law made it difficult for Asian men to bring their wives in the country worsening the situation. Asian men who wished to be married socialized with non-Asians even more.

The Victory

When the World War II ended, this gender dynamics of interracial procedure toppled down. US men who were in service and assigned station overseas in Asian countries came home together with their Asian brides. Statistics show that the period of 1945 to 1970s, a large population of Asian women from China, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea as war brides were admitted in the US. In addition to that, the Immigration Act of 1965, the war brides further expanded the Asian-American community as they petition family members and relative for immigration to the US.

Nowadays, Asian-American interracial relationships are no longer bounded by law. Through the abolition of anti-miscegenation laws became very common. One can date anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, or skin color.