First of All- Let Me Begin by Saying this is not reserved to a Black/White stereotypical “Jungle Fever” Dialogue only. I am moving beyond this black and white paradigm of a society we live in. Now, this is one of my big topics, I spent a year doing research and interviews on it- also because it is an important conversation and potentially delicate. Let’s begin realizing this isn’t the end and only post that will come- 

I myself am a Bi-Multiethnic/racial/Halfbreed so I may be bias- but not too bias.

LOVE IS A CHOICE- realizing that first is important and also quintessential to the conversation. Feelings may happen but you choose whom you ultimately want to stick it out with for different roles. So, a relationship is different than dating, is different than marriage, is different than pure sex. Lots of people are willing to have Interracial/ethnic sex, but only about 6-7% of married population is listed as interracial. So who commits and who doesn’t, really matters. It’s kind of like a Racial Down Low…

So Stop thinking of just Black and White again (I know you are). Remember Latinos and Asians and all of the different specification are involved here. And lots get some facts out just in case you do not know-

1. Asian Women are the most likely to Interracially date/marry.
2. Black Women are the least likely.
3. White Men are the most likely, followed by Black, Latino, and Asian. (Bet you were surprised at that one).

Now we don’t need to go into specifications and the same conversations everyone has- If love is a choice, than love is a business (sadly) and that business involves a cost/benefit analysis of

*Money
*Power Dynamic
*Family
*Religion
*Personality/Perceived Personality
*Sex

So the danger is; wondering how many same and different race/ethnicity couples are together based on stereotypes (which could be solely based on INITIAL contact). Stereotypes which we perceive of others, and we even become them within ourselves through a process of internalization- here lies the issue: and what should be the core of the conversation- beyond Race, but including Stereotypes and the Racial Myth. (We are not that different genetically and color itself depends on hemisphere/equator orientation), HOWEVER, Race is real because of our lived experiences and our cultivation of it socially, politically, and historically. Therefore, lets start at the beginning of the Ship….

Boy sees Girl. Girl sees Boy. or Boy sees Boy and Girl sees Girl….

The First Meeting and the Outer evaluations which are based on looks alone at first… we can talk about, gender, age, dress, group membership (whether it be friends around, athletics, professional, fraternities/sororities, etc), location, colorism (the light to dark spectrum which sometimes make different ethnic relationships exempt to this conversation in a traditional manner but not fully), personality, hair, perceived social status, flirting etc… all of this is taken in the first few blinks

what do you see? and what do others see when they first lay eyes on you?