The Best Cities for Interracial Dating
Surprisingly, few surveys have been conducted to discover the best cities for interracial dating in America, and none in other countries. A survey conducted by Sperling’s Best Places listed the following as the best cities for interracial dating where interracial couples can have a good time without being hassled: Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Oakland Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. Other polls, including the one conducted by Interrace Magazine in May of 2000 also gave the nod to Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona, Oakland, San Diego, and Fremont in California, Jacksonville in Florida, and Honolulu. What makes such cities good venues for interracial couples? First and foremost is diversity of culture. New York City, for example, is just about as diverse a city as one can get in terms of different ethnicities and cultures and sometimes this characteristic is referred to as cosmopolitan. But it may not be the only reason. Tolerance is likely to be another, but interestingly it is not always linked to a population being politically or socially conservative. Arizona is pretty conservative and has been in the news about its new law regarding illegal immigrants, yet both Phoenix and Tucson appear to be quite tolerant of interracial dating. California is often thought of as a laidback state in terms of social mores, which may be why so many of its cities feature prominently in the interracial scene but given the intense discourse on gay marriage there, that doesn’t mean that all of California believes that interracial dating is okay. Portland in Oregon and Boston are often perceived of as “liberal” cities but these two are rarely mentioned in top ten interracial dating city lists, which may say something about what really makes the population of a city really tolerant in attitudes. In other countries, data on the interracial scene in cities are sparse. One might think that London ought to be hot spot because it holds such a melting pot of races, but all indications are that couples most frequently stay within their racial groups. Ultimately, this may have less to do with a multiplicity of ethnic groups that the UK’s more conservative attitude toward social rules, which have always been historically conservative. Across the Channel, Paris seems to be much more accommodating toward interracial dating because the French seem to care less about social rules than eating well and having a good time regardless of who you are—this in spite of the fact that Paris has a long history of immigration and work issues. In other parts of the world, whether interracial dating is frowned upon appears to be related to long-simmering ethnic, social, or even religious convictions. In Israel, for example, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are probably at the bottom of the list because “separation between Jews and Arabs is so ingrained in Israeli society” according to Dr. Yuval Gonay, a sociologist at Haifa University. Similar situations prevail in many Middle Eastern and Asian cities. However, in major Indian cities, such as Mumbai, what reaction an interracial couple might receive depends on the “pecking order” of an ethnic mix, or rather position in society. A White woman perceived as a foreigner and dating an Indian man might get the most attention with locals asking why the Indian man is dating below his social status. Some Latin American cities may be friendlier toward interracial couples, such as Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires, largely because of more openness among the local populace despite being largely Catholic. In summary, while interracial dating is on the rise, there are few cities around the world in which interracial couples will be really comfortable. In the United States, attitudes continue to change, and there are many East and West coast, and Mid-West cities in which a good time can be had.
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