What Is Interracial Dating? Meaning, History and Today

Interracial dating simply means dating someone whose racial background is different from your own. Closely related is intercultural dating, where partners come from different cultures, languages or countries — which often overlaps.

A short history

In the United States, laws banning interracial marriage existed in many states until 1967, when the Supreme Court struck them down in Loving v. Virginia. Since then, public approval has risen dramatically: Gallup polling in 2021 found that 94% of US adults approve of marriage between Black and white people, up from 4% in 1958.

How common is it today?

According to Pew Research Center, about one in six US newlyweds married someone of a different race or ethnicity by the mid-2010s — more than five times the 1967 rate. Many other countries, from the UK to Brazil, have similar or higher rates of mixed relationships.

What it looks like day to day

• Sharing two sets of holidays, foods and family traditions
• Learning each other's histories and experiences of race
• Talking openly about how you'll raise children, if you want them
• Supporting each other when facing others' assumptions

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