Racism, Nationalism and the Impact on Intermarriage and Mixed Families

Regular session: Racism, Nationalism, and the Impact on Intermarriage and Mixed Families

While systemic racism and nationalism are a global phenomenon, cosmopolitan cities and claims of multiculturalism are often heralded in media reports and national policy statements. On one hand, intermarriage, and mixed families are often looked to as a sign of loosening racial and ethnic boundaries in a country, yet, these couples and families often face restrictive laws, and virulent opposition from both within and outside their own communities. This session will explore what research on intermarriage and mixed families tells us about contemporary racism and nationalism. What historical context, current socio-political realities and national policies either discourage or facilitate intermarriage in different countries? What are the attitudes of different groups within an area toward intermarriage, how does that vary based on the groups involved, and what does that reveal about larger structural inequalities? What are the lived experiences of mixed couples and families, as well as mixed-race and inter-ethnic individuals who navigate these real and symbolic borders? Are there global patterns that can be identified by studying intermarriage that span across geographic regions or other divisions? How does this research lend itself to new and innovative methodological or theoretical ways of challenging racism and nationalism more broadly?