
Race Mixing
Black-white Marriage in Postwar America
Renee Romano(Author)
Harvard University Press
Published on 17. April 2003
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-0-674-01033-8 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
Marriage between blacks and whites is a longstanding and deeply ingrained taboo in American culture. On the eve of World War II, mixed-race marriage was illegal in most states, politicians argued for segregated facilities in order to prevent race mixing, and couples risked public hostility, legal action, even violence. Yet, 60 years later, black-white marriage is no longer illegal or a divisive political issue, and the number of such couples and their mixed-race children has risen dramatically. Renee Romano explains how and why such marriages have gained acceptance, and what this tells us about race relations in contemporary America. Although significant numbers of both blacks and white still oppose interracial marriage, larger historical forces have greatly diminished overt racism and shaped a new consciousness about mixed-race families. The social revolutions of the 1950s and '60s (with their emphasis on individualism and nonconformity), the legal sanctions of new civil rights laws, and a decline in the institutional stability of marriage have all contributed to the growing tolerance for interracial relationships.
Telling the powerful stories of couples who married across the colour line, Romano shows how cultural shifts are lived by individuals, and how they have enable mixed couples to build supportive communities for themselves and their children. However, Romano warns that the erosion of this taboo does not mean that racism no longer exists. The history of interracial marriage helps us understand the extent to which America has overcome its racist past, and how much further we must go to achieve meaningful racial equality.
Telling the powerful stories of couples who married across the colour line, Romano shows how cultural shifts are lived by individuals, and how they have enable mixed couples to build supportive communities for themselves and their children. However, Romano warns that the erosion of this taboo does not mean that racism no longer exists. The history of interracial marriage helps us understand the extent to which America has overcome its racist past, and how much further we must go to achieve meaningful racial equality.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Illustrations
16halftones
Dimensions
Height: 241 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
664 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-01033-8 (9780674010338)
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Book
05/2006
University Press of Florida
€24.50
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E-Book
07/2009
Harvard University Press
€78.99
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Person
RENEE C. ROMANO is Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Wesleyan University.