When I was young, I never even knew that interracial couples could exist. In fact, when I learned that such an idea existed, I was stunned. Each year, I used to have crushes on only guys within my own race because it felt natural to me. I believed it was like a lion marrying a lioness or a stallion marrying a mare. This idea remained until fourth grade, a time when I fell for a white guy for the first time.

As I grew up, I began to admire different features other guys had such as sea blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, dark brown hair, lighter skin, etc, but what all of my crushes had in common, regardless of their ethnicity, was that they were all kind, funny, intelligent, and unique.

Now what does this have to do with all of us today? Each year, the average American is no longer white, blonde, and rich like the early settlers. The average American can be African American, Asian, white, Latino, or a beautiful mixture.

The topic of interracial couples emerged as primarily a surprise for men and women of all ethnicities. Some may have thought, "Why them? Why not me? Where will our traditions go?" For this reason, this "jungle fever" used to cause major controversies. When slavery was still legal, some slave masters used to breed black women like cattle to produce more slaves. Back when John Smith was exploring the Americas, Pocahontas and John Rolfe got married, hoping to bring peace between their families (this peaceful time was sadly short lived).

Thankfully, we are living in an era where love has no gender and no color. We are free to marry who we love and cherish regardless of that person's race or orientation. This may sound very cliche, but love always wins.

As a diversity advocate, I encourage us to explore different cultures and appreciate every good person we encounter. Sure, not everyone can be a perfect friend. Friends come and go, but true friends love you as much as you love them and yourself.

Diversity does not mean that we are taking power away from a certain group or clan of people.

The fact that I am attracted to white men does not mean that I want to make black guys jealous or diminish my own human race.

Going back to my own perspective, I find many guys attractive, including black guys; however, I have the choice to make any decision I want, including who I would like to date. In this case, I am just attracted to guys outside of my race a little more. I am 18, and 16 of the 21 guys I have experienced a crush on turned out to be white. Even my first boyfriend was white, and the relationship itself was great.

I am a young soon-to-be college freshman, but I know what I want when it comes to my own relationships. I think mixed relationships are beautiful, unique, and precious to me because they symbolize how far we have come. They show our tolerance for other cultures, opinions, styles, tastes, and groups. Already, I am onto crush #22 from Binghamton University orientation (*wink), and it feels great to know what you like and what you can do to move up, move in, or move on. What makes it exciting for me personally is that it's like Milk and Cookies, or Chocolate and Vanilla, or Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows.

Many friends of mine (who are also African American) are attracted to black guys, which I think is awesome. But does my preference for white men mean I'm trying to rebel? Absolutely not. It means I am conforming to my own heart.