Race Relations

Growing up overseas on military bases and living in Hawaii have really affected the way I see interracial couples. In the military lifestyle. I saw a ton of interracial couples (usually, but not always, a white father with an Asian mother [I know Asia is not an ethnicity, but neither is white, so hah!]). Most of my friends, including myself, were half-and-half. I thought we were a very progressive community. Then we moved to Hawaii.

In Hawaii, many people are more than two ethnicities. In fact, some people are five or more ethnicities combined. It comes from the plantation history of the islands, in which people from many other countries (mostly Asian) were brought to the islands to work in the sugar fields. The town I currently live in is famous for having the first sugar plantation on the island. I was blown away when I found out that you could be more than two ethnicities. Who had ever heard of such a thing? How many generations back would ethnic groups have to begin mixing to have children who were six different ethnicities? Crazy! And there is another phenomenon that happens here, too, which is the opposite end of the spectrum: People who keep the "bloodline strong." Essentially people who are ethnically pure. My fiance is ethnically pure. He is a fourth-generation plantation Japanese.

I, myself, am not. I have half white (maybe French/German, but I have no idea), and half Filipino (mostly Spanish due to the Spanish occupation, but possibly some indigenous as well). I have come to dilute the bloodline! Our children will be of three ethnicities! Of course in this day and age, especially in Hawaii, people don't really care about that kind of stuff... or do they? There are bumper stickers throughout the islands claiming "Bloodline," and people have made comments to us about the dilution of his bloodline. It's almost like we're dog breeds. The thought of diluting Chad's bloodline makes me a little sad, because one day, in the far future, a completely pure bloodline will be very hard to find. However, the thought of our future, super-cute kids makes me feel happier.