Brown bag series to discuss interracial dating

Though we are in the 21st century, interracial and intercultural dating can still be considered controversial.

At 4 p.m. today, the “Choice of Colors” brown bag panel discussion series continues with “The Truth About Interracial Dating” at the La Casa Latino Cultural Center.

The panel includes people who are married or who have been in relationships with those outside of their ethnic or cultural background.

The panelists have had varied experiences that range from non-problematic to causing major conflicts, said Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa.

The discussion will show how perceptions of interracial relationships have changed from the past – when it was illegal to marry someone outside of their race – to the present day, Casillas said.

“It’s a time where we are more open to exploration and more open to many things,” Casillas said. “I’m generalizing, but if there is a place that this has a better chance of occurring, college creates that opportunity.”

More students who are enrolling at IU are biracial or bicultural, Casillas said.
Joseph Stahlman, interim director of the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center, assisted in putting the panel together.

He said he is a product of an interracial relationship. His mother is German-American and his father is an American Indian.

He said he has always felt interracial relationships were a non-issue.

“Interracial dating is on everyone’s mind in one form or another,” Stahlman said. “I’ve never considered it important. I hope we get past it.”

Interracial dating could be considered a touchy subject, but one that needs to be discussed among college students.

“I’m interested in knowing what’s on people’s minds,” Stahlman said. “Sometimes what people say and what people think is different. It’s about getting underneath the surface and learning what’s on their minds.”