Comments on The Larissa Monologues: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Interracial Marriage

I am the product of an interracial marriage. Whil...

2008-06-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

I am the product of an interracial marriage. While it didn't work out for them and I had my own set of identity issues I wouldn't change it for the world. I am confident in who I am as a person aside from being biracial.
I love my parents and love that I grew up with two different amazing cultures.
Its really sad that there are people out there that disagree with it so much.

Wow. I know those people are out there, but for s...

2008-06-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Wow. I know those people are out there, but for some reason it's still a bit of a shocker when they address you directly and make their ignorance heard.

As half of an interracial relationship (another one!) we usually tease each other about such things and backgrounds and all that, but we have so much respect for where the other person comes from it's easy to forget that there are people out there that are truly hateful. If he and I ever have children I think they'll be lucky to grow up exposed to how beautiful differences can be!

Oh lordy. People still think like that? That inter...

2008-06-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

Oh lordy. People still think like that? That interracial marriage is bad and the children are DOOOMED? That's rediculous. I know a few interracial couples and their children are turning out just fine, thank you very much.

Crazy talk.

Happy belated Loving Day (June 12th, www.lovingday...

2008-06-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Loving Day (June 12th, www.lovingday.org)! Not only am I a product of an interracial marriage, I'm a part of one, too. Love knows no boundaries and it's sad that some people fail to see it that way. Thank you for speaking up, you're an inspiration!

You go girl. It is amazing to me that this day in ...

2008-06-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

You go girl. It is amazing to me that this day in age people still feel this way.

Oy vey too much work to do to make this world right!

As another member of an interracial relationship, ...

2008-06-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

As another member of an interracial relationship, I say right on!

Ok seriously. What an idiot. How is it that I am...

2008-06-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Ok seriously. What an idiot. How is it that I am Italian and my hubsand white, but we are not interacial? What the hell is interacial anyway? I say live your life, be who you are and embrace it. Your children will be beautiufl regardless. Children are really wonders! Not to mention the idiot that posted that probably has A. never set foot in a kitchen, and B. never had a spouse :)

That person is just jealous because he or she won'...

2008-06-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

That person is just jealous because he or she won't have cute halfie kids like you (and my husband and I) will.

Anyway, found your blog through Tastespotting. Keep up the good work!

someone linked back to this on another blog and I ...

2008-06-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

someone linked back to this on another blog and I was shocked and horrified that someone would make that statement to you.

They must not have seen many white/asian children (or interracial kids of any origin for that matter), otherwise they'd know how BEAUTIFUL they are.

Not to mention how silly the whole idea of race is. If the whole "mitochondrial eve" theory is right, then perhaps 150,000 years ago we all had dark skin, and the changes we refer to as "race" nowadays is simply a reflection of increased/decreased amounts of melanin in our skin in response to the amount of direct UV radiation unborn fetuses in their mothers womb were receiving.

Not surprisingly, move closer to the equator for, say 20,000 years, and your offspring will grow darker - it's a defense mechanism.

Conversely, move away from the equator and your skin will lighten to alow more UV penetration - in an attempt to provide the "happy balance" between too little and too much. Again, a defense mechanism.

Hard to believe that melanin levels are what all the fuss over race have been about, isn't it?

The rest of our "racial" features are also climate driven. Hot climates produce taller people. Think of the body as a gaint heat-dispensing radiator for the brain. The more surface area you have, the more area for heat to escape from. In colder climates, shorter stockier features are more beneficial.

Nose sizes are a reflection of whether we've lived in hot/wet, hot/dry, cold/wet, or cold/dry climates. Even eyes (such as the mystifying - at least for white guys like me - asian eyes) are an adaptation likely centered again around UV radiation.

Again - this is what folks get angry with each other over?

It's so laughable. I hope you bring forth many children. We're working on our second "halfie" (as we call him) right now.

Luckily we've never experienced even a hint of racism. We even live in a rural community, and folks here absolute adore our child. Nearly everyone will comment "god those mixed children are gorgeous!" and agree that they are probably gods way of showing us the beauty in bridging gaps between our historical cultural differences.

I look at it this way. 200,000 years ago or so , my wife (Chinese), and I (a mutt, but basically Anglo) probably had a common ancestor somewhere around present day Somalia. Our union is just the rejoining of genes that split the blink of an eye ago in terms of time when viewed from all of Earth's history.

By the way, if you want to see another happy mixed couple - just stop on over our blog. It's all horse racing stuff, but who knows p- maybe I'll make a fan of you?

My purpose wasn't to plug my blog though - just to chime in that I'm sorry you had to deal with such a comment and I think you handled yourself admirably.

My "white" husband Irish, German, French, Scottish...

2008-06-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

My "white" husband Irish, German, French, Scottish and who knows what else. Is that not considered multiracial?

Ugh. People are... ridiculous. (And I use the word...

2008-06-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ugh. People are... ridiculous. (And I use the word 'ridiculous' instead of a word I would want to use but would help this situation none). I've had my own experiences with inter-racial dating and found that it's usually the people with opinions you don't care about who feel the need to voice them. The ones who matter, the ones who know you- are happy when you are happy.

I cannot believe that anyone would voice such thou...

2008-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that anyone would voice such thoughts in 2008. I mean, I know that there are people out there who are still that bigoted and close-minded, but... wow.

Rest assured that, as you said in your previous post, most people view your relationship as nothing short of joyful.

Your future multiracial babies will be very loved and talented people, indeed.

my mind wonders how people that close minded even ...

2008-06-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

my mind wonders how people that close minded even know how to turn on a computer, much less find a random person to assault.

ugh.

Ignorance is alive!

Good response!

hi there,just stumbled across your blog and love i...

2008-06-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

hi there,

just stumbled across your blog and love it!
and i wanted to give my two cents about inter-racial marriages and couples and dating in general.
i'm a south asian female born and raised in nyc and my fiance is white and australian :)
i've been to about 8 weddings in the last 3 years where a south asian/asian chick married a white dude.
and in college (i just graduated) couples are mixing EVERYWHERE- indian guy/white girl, black girl/white guy, latino/white, asian/white, etc etc.

it's sad to think that it was only 40 years that it was ILLEGAL to marry someone of a different race. but that's a whole other issue (mostly the results of slavery and our history of prejudice).

people are just people.

as cliche as it sounds, it really DOES NOT matter what color your skin is, unless you MAKE it an issue. for me and my fiance, it's never been an issue. we took classes together and naturally just realized we liked each other.

although we still get stares sometimes (not so much in nyc which is pretty cosmopolitan), i'm lucky because i found a great guy.

as for the person who made the ridiculously ignorant comment about how we shouldn't have kids....it sounds like that person is UNHAPPY in their own life...maybe their marriage ended in divorce or just plain sucks.

because when you're happy and secure with yourself, you're happy for other people who found each other and love each other.

gosh this is a long post, but this is an issue i feel strongly about.

i wanted to conclude with the fact that our generation is a lot more open to interracial dating and marriage than our parent's generation and by the time we have kids and they're grown up and ready to get married, the world will definitely be more global and more people will parents who are each of different ethnicities.

the most important thing you can do with your kids is shower them with love. and teach them about both cultures.

also, i think the fact that ALL bi-racial kids are GORGEOUS is GOD's way of telling us that we should all mix it up and marry someone from a different race...because then the entire next generation would be mixed and there would be no more prejudice.

that's all.
i'm done. :))

grrr that makes me angry!!I've heard this before a...

2008-06-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

grrr that makes me angry!!

I've heard this before and gotten lectures when dating people of different races about how 'difficult it is for a child to grow up mixed'... I'm not quite sure thats even true! I'm italian and cuban and because of my different look, was constantly asked which one of my parents were black, but because my parents explained my background as something to be proud of I always knew how to handle questions and knew that it just made me more unique..
quality of life has everything to do with parenting and nothingggg to do with race. come onnn peeps!
:)

I'm also in an interracial marriage and a Capricor...

2008-06-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm also in an interracial marriage and a Capricorn (per your blogger profile) so I suppose the similarities just keep coming!! I'm surrounded by interracial marriages (my sister in law is Black, we have Asian Jews in the family, I could go on and on...) so I suppose it's always been the 'norm' growing up for me. I suppose some folks growing up in a hole could still be shocked, but seriously...Way to stand up to the jerk!

Awesome response, Larissa. My first impression is ...

2008-06-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Awesome response, Larissa. My first impression is "dang, what a wacko." I'm appalled that the viewpoints your commentor relayed persist today, and I hate that thinking they don't makes me naive. Would that the world were a more peaceful place!

Keep on "baking." I think your recipes are fabulous, and yield nothing but goodness :)

That kind of ignorance and overt prejudice makes m...

2008-06-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

That kind of ignorance and overt prejudice makes my blood boil. Never mind the fact that there are actually fewer differences between races than there are within races, rendering the partners in interracial marriages potentially more similar than partners in same race marriages. And I don't even need to see this Commenter to know your kids are going to be way hotter.

Wow. I'm a little shocked at what people have the ...

2008-06-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm a little shocked at what people have the audacity to write.
I just don't get why love isn't enough to base a marriage-- and why people have such strong opinions on other people's relationships!

Huh. Guess interracial dating is on a lot of peopl...

2008-06-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

Huh. Guess interracial dating is on a lot of people's minds because I wrote something about it a while ago too.

Mildred Loving, the woman who won the case to make interracial marriage legal (Loving v. the state of Virginia) died recently and she had this wonderful quote:

"Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."

This is what I believe love is. Love knows no boundaries, borders, lines, or division.

I guess there will always be someone to rain on the happiness two people can have.

NO, I haven't! Well I know who's in the coffin now...

2008-06-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

NO, I haven't! Well I know who's in the coffin now but I haven't finished watching it. For some reason I like teasing my self and pacing my self with the last few morsels of this season, I'm kind of watching it in bits. However I have to keep chopping down fellow Lost buddies who start discussing the finale as if I've seen it! Haha. I'm so glad,that makes 2 people now that I have met here that are Lost fans. Sweet!

I can't believe someone seriously wrote that to yo...

2008-06-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe someone seriously wrote that to you. I audacity! You have the right to marry whoever you want--it's about love and happiness, not religion or race. My parents, although not racially different, and Jewish and Catholic. Definitely not perfect, but they're still happily married. I grew up believe that no matter what race or difference, you it doesn't matter if you truly care for the person.

Obviously that commenter is very naive. People like that annoy me.

well said Larissa. you go with your bad self. :]Si...

2008-06-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

well said Larissa. you go with your bad self. :]

Since we're talking about race are you Filipina?

My white-y boyfriend (hehe) and I watch a lot of S...

2008-05-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

My white-y boyfriend (hehe) and I watch a lot of Star Trek, so I wonder what will happen when people start having inter-species relationships. Haha!

But seriously, I don't know if I will have children with him, but my friends seem to think we are going to have some damn cute (and equally creative...and fantastically crazy-in-a-good-way) ones, so whatevs.

And judging by that picture, ditto for you and yours. :o)

Gotta make some interracial babies. I live in Kans...

2008-05-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

Gotta make some interracial babies. I live in Kansas, land of blonde hair, blue eyes, and no chins; in other words, inbreeding! So mix up the gene pool, baby, and have some good-looking kids!

But also keep baking.

At the risk of stirring up even more controversy, I'm curious to hear how you perceive this issue in relation to the current hullabaloo surrounding legalization of gay marriage in CA.