I was a bit tentative about writing this article because it is kind of personal but I realized this issue is pretty prevalent in our society. I have been dating Henry for a year and a half now and we never fail to receive comments that make us sort of uncomfortable. It makes me wonder what kind of people we are actually surrounded by. I would like to think that most people can celebrate and leave an interracial couple alone, however, we have seen this is not the case. Although a lot of what I'm writing may be taken as humor or sarcasm, it's gotten to a point where I need to ignore some of the comments because they're just not appropriate. Now, to be fair, my boyfriend hasn't really received that many offensive comments about dating me, but I certainly have.
1. "You're dating an Asian guy?"
I'm not sure why I am being asked if I'm dating an Asian guy as I am standing right next to one and just introduced him as my boyfriend. I mean, what century are we in?
2. "So I see you've got yellow fever"
At first, I was confused as to what this meant but then I realized this guy was trying to be funny and was referring to Henry's skin color with play-on-words. Not funny. Just wrong.
3. "So um...is the stereotype about Asian guys true?"
Seriously? Apart from that being none of your business, I can assure you I do not know every single Eastern Asian man on the planet, therefore I cannot answer your question. Secondly, racial stereotypes are not accurate representations of people and we should not be judging others based off of them.
4. (To my boyfriend) "Bro you gotta be careful with those Colombian girls"
I'm sorry, do I know you? Please, tell me how many Colombian girls have you dated?
5. "Let me get this straight, you prefer Asian guys over Hispanic guys now?"
Why is it so difficult for people to get through their heads that I, a Hispanic female, am dating an Asian male? No I do not have a preference. Last time I checked, relationships are a bit more complicated than just choosing a race.
6. (To my boyfriend) "How are you dating a Hispanic girl?"
Henry did not punch this guy, but I would not have been surprised if he did. Again, what is the big deal? People make it seem as if there are certain qualifications for dating a Hispanic girl, but there aren't! To each his own. Stop trying to figure out others' relationships!
7. (To me) "So... I guess you'll be the one driving huh?"
Some of you may find this funny as Asians have been daily subjects to ridicule based on unjust racial stereotypes but again, not funny. I really don't appreciate people trying to make a joke out of my relationship especially with these overplayed, nonsense one-liners.
8. (To Henry) "Colombian girls are known for cheating and they are always partying"
Alright Einstein tell me more about how you have dated every single Colombian woman that has stepped foot on this earth. If you had some sort of altercation with a Colombian girl or if you heard from another small-minded human being that all Colombian women are unfaithful, that sounds like a you-problem.
9. (To Henry)"Do you not like Asian girls?"
Is there some sort of rule that people can only date other people from their same race? If so, please let me know about it. I must not have received the memo.
11. "Are you worried about your children being chinky?"
I don't even want to address this one.
12. "Does this mean you're Buddhist now?"
What does this have anything to do with us? Not all Chinese people are Buddhists as most of you know and why are you assuming that because I'm a woman, it only makes sense for me to convert to the same religion as my male partner? Oh yeah, I went there.
Now that I finally got all of that out, I hope this makes everyone reflect a bit and be more conscious when encountering an interracial couple. It should not be weird and we certainly shouldn't be making them feel weird about being together. Personally, I laugh at these ridiculous remarks and so does Henry because at the end of the day all that really matters is the genuine love we have for each other. I accept him for who he is and I have never looked down on the fact that he is Chinese and the same goes for him. It is truly appalling that others cannot get past our race.