<p>This has me thinking so many thoughts, I cannot quite put them all together, but will try.</p>
<p>My parents must have done a pretty good job raising us to be colour blind- my first date was another race as were some others, my brother married within another race (I think her parents were a bit disappointed) though she was already the same religion as my bro, not as her family and his religion is a huge part of their lives & family ECs.</p>
<p>In thinking back, there has also been inter-racial dating with my DDs and there were several guys within our race that I was so relieved to have out of the picture! They are dating a person not a race, and hopefully one is judging the person not the race.</p>
<p>My kids were raised pretty much colour blind, yet when we took a kid of a different race on a trip to Grandma’s, they commented that we had not told them the kid was that other race. No problem, just curious that we did not even think about it. The grandparents grew up in an area with race riots and were not in any way prejudiced or bigoted, yet there was still that underlying awareness of POTENTIAL cultural differences.</p>
<p>My kids went to a HS with many different races, yet a very similar cultural and lifestyle experience. She later had roommates of a different race with a vastly different cultural experience who had a very racially prejudiced attitude toward her. She was literally shocked and resentful that they would perpetuate this old fashioned attitude.</p>
<p>I really think race is not as big a deal as religion and culture. Holidays, traditions, religious services, so many people drift away from 15-25, but man oh man, do most of us tend to seek our roots once we are raising kids!!!??? No, of course, not all, some people run screaming from their roots, but as a generalisation, if you grew up with a Christmas tree, you probably want that for your kids, even if you don’t realise it at 20.</p>
<p>Also, some cultures are much more harsh toward women, and I will say I would have trouble with the concept that my DD wanted to marry some one from one of those countries. Even if the young man was totally great, I would wonder what subtleties would arise later. I do have a friend whose husband took their daughter back to the middle east- like a lifetime movie- and it was amazing what she went through to get her back & it was ugly.</p>