The portrayal of interracial couples in pop culture reflects the times. According to a Pew Research Center report on “Mixed Marriage in the US,” one in 10 married people had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. But black-white couples accounted for just 11% of interracial marriages, and black men were twice as likely as black women to marry someone of a different race or ethnicity (24% vs. 12%).
The attitude towards interracial marriages in the United States has changed: 39% of those surveyed believe that intermarriage is good for society. In 1990, according to the “General Social Survey”, 63% of non-black participants were against it. More than three decades later, the figure has dropped to 14%. A change that Hollywood echoes, but not without question.
CHANGE. During the last few years, representations of interracial relationships have become common. And there is certainly more diversity with different types of couples on screen (multi-ethnic, non-monogamous, queer). But the visual is only part of the story.
Are depictions of interracial unions, and by extension mixed-race and biracial children, a sign of racial progress? The answer is not so clear. Many accuse Hollywood of having solved the problem superficially.
Shonda Rhimes, producer of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” who signed a multimillion-dollar production deal with Netflix in 2018, proved with “Bridgerton,” the period drama series, that her formula for inclusive castings and interracial romances are gold in today’s Hollywood.
Based on the successful series of novels by Julia Quinn, the show revolves around the central romance between Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, and socialite Daphne Bridgerton.
And while Simon was originally white in the novels, the decision to make the couple interracial was what made “Bridgerton” the jewel in Netflix’s crown during the 2020 holiday season: it managed to be seen by more than 82 million viewers in its first two weeks.
But “Bridgerton”, which will premiere its second season on March 25, was not without its detractors. “Interracial couples on television are produced to provide white Americans with a sense of comfort in the face of changing power structures and demographics, a reinforcement that they will continue to dominate the racial pecking order. Because they are based on white fantasy, not actual demographic changes,” says Jason Johnson, a professor of politics and journalism at Morgan State University.
COOL. Interracial couples -instead of strictly monoracial-, are presented as more seys and cool. And biracial youth, particularly light-skinned ones, end up reinforcing colorism: “white but with a tan” is now often the preferred shade in the entertainment industry.
Precisely that of Zendaya (her father is African American and her mother of German descent), the star of “Spiderman” and “Duna”, also a favorite of the brands.
A discussion running through “Mixed-ish” (the spin-off prequel to “Black-ish”), a comedy that follows the teenage version of Tracee Ellis Ross’s character, Rainbow “Bow” Johnson, and her experiences as a teenage mix of breeds in the 1980s.
The show is about “Bow” embracing her identity, but also highlights how her mother, Alicia Johnson, is on her own journey of self-discovery to reconnect with the black community, and raise her children in a world that may demand that biracial children “Pick a side.” Actress Tika Sumpter, who plays Alicia, understands that dynamic well: She and her real-life partner, actor Nicholas James, who is white, have a 5-year-old daughter. things that neither of us can relate to because she’s going to have a very different experience than both of us, but we’ll do everything we can to prepare her. We went to therapy as soon as I got pregnant.”
ASIAN. In Netflix’s Christmas rom-com “Love Hard,” comedian Jimmy Yang stars as Josh Lin, a Chinese American who uses the photo of his far more attractive mixed-race Asian friend Tag (Darren Barnet) to get “matches” on a dating app. The strategy works: he bonds with Natalie (Nina Dobrev), a white woman who, in love, crosses the country to find him.
But surprise, Josh is not the one in the photos. Natalie is outraged, though not because of her race. And Josh, feeling guilty, helps Natalie seduce the handsome Tag while she lives with her family: Josh’s Chinese father is married to a white woman and his brother is dating one.
For Hollywood it is a sign of change. Relationships between Asian men and white women, called AMWFs online, were rarely shown on screen.
But for racial criticism, couples have yet to talk about it. And the same goes for “Crazy ExGirlfriend,” where Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) has a crush on Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III), but they never talk about his Filipino-American heritage.
Also last year, the first season of “Love Life” featured the romance of Darby (Anna Kendrick, from “A cappella”) and Augie (Jin Ha). But no racial talk: the second season took note and deftly weaved discussions about black male and white female pairings.
Something that does happen in “Queen Sugar”, the drama series by filmmaker and producer Ava DuVernay (“The way they see us”), where the character of Nova Bordelon, a fierce activist for social justice, discovers that her white boyfriend Calvin, a former police officer, participated in the assault on a black teenager who was left paralyzed.
VALIDATION. Networks blew up interracial bickering when Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) got married on “The Walking Dead.” Then it was also criticized that there were no talks about their differences. But to be fair, the zombies are the most immediate concern in the plot.
“An Asian man dating a white woman on the most popular show on television was seen not only as a sign of progress, but also as permission for white women to start dating us,” the Korean American journalist wrote. Jay Caspian Kang in The New York Times.
“It bothered me a bit, I took it as saying that I can only feel like a man if I’m with a white woman, which is a terrible thing to think about,” Yeun replied.
The back and forth between the two marked the axes of the discussion: it is progress to represent an Asian man and a white woman as a couple, but it is also insulting that it is the form of validation. And many resent that Hollywood isn’t joining the discussion when its characters completely sidestep the problems they may face, and solve them Hollywood-style, with magical thinking.
“I am still learning, especially how to understand my role in bringing about real change. I think the only way to do it is by talking. We only wish that television and movies, whose conversations have a far greater reach than ours, would join us,” Yeun concluded.
