Self-hate and Reflections of my Daughter by David Mura

As one reads the reflections of David Mura, a poet and passionate writer, a dominant tone of confusion appears in the background. The works majorly dwell upon his choice of marrying a white woman. In one of his poems, he shows a misunderstanding for his choice of getting married to a white woman. He feels that the marriage was a means of escaping from something in him that he cannot fathom. He later fears that his daughter may have to encounter racist contempt because of her mixed backgrounds. Ideally, David is not alone in such retrospections as many people have the notion of interracial marriage as a controversy between love and the need to escape from identity crises. From such controversial cultural insinuations, two paradigms exist, that is, traditional beliefs versus popular cultural ideologies.

Traditional Versus popular culture beliefs

Traditional beliefs vary from popular cultural affiliations of any society. Traditional beliefs emanated from dominant behavior with a root in the origin and homogeneity of a society or class. Traditionally, many societies believe in homogeneity as a form of lifestyle. Such beliefs are informed by ancient norms that dictated associations and unions through vital institutions like marriages. Therefore, traditionally, many people still believe that people should maintain their social and ethnic lines by sticking to their backgrounds in making vital union decisions. Such are the cases of ancient aristocrats and high social class citizens who still believe that the flavor of marriage and continuity of societal traditions lie in intra-ethnic marriage. Therefore, many tradionalists still believe that it is absurd for men of color to marry outside their race. Such beliefs harbor the thought that people have a unique tradition and pride in their race. Such pride, they believe, should remain pure. Any decisions to marry outside their racial norms means that such people are escaping from their cultures. Such escapes from their cultures mean they have identity crises that hinder them from accepting their selves.

In the 20^th century and emerging 21^st century, several ideas have changed and are still changing regarding to such unions. Due to the intermingling of people and the global associations, many ideals of ancient traditions have long begun to break and beliefs in unilateral races and ethnic ties have faded. Perspectives have ceased to dwell upon homogeneity but on a more rational and accommodative approach to society and life. Popular culture involves the sum of memes and outlooks emerging inside a typical culture, which often emanates from the western world. Such popular cultures inform new beliefs especially influenced by the mass media and metropolitan association in the society. From such cultures, ideas like love and interracial marriages thrive. Idyllically, popular culture believes that marriage outside one’s race for colored men is not a form of identity escape but a means of expressing love with unlimited boundaries.

Whether based on popular culture or traditional beliefs, marriage between colored men and other races has become a controversial issue. This paper presents a variety of cases of such marriages with an aim of conducting a comparative nuance of the two beliefs. The analysis focuses on black people as a culture block.

While many believe that a black culture exists among black people, the contrary is true. People take for granted the fact that black people have a unified culture that binds them together. Looking at African countries where all black population inherently originated, there are as many cultures as there are tribes out there. Looking at Nigeria, for instance, the country has over 200 tribes with unique cultures from one another probably just sharing the skin likeness (black) (Kluegel & Smith, 123). Culture is in no account the skin color, but a way of life of a people. The way of life dwells upon facts of languages, dialects and such factors that bind a tribe or group together. On this fact, many blacks living in a society even in America have diverse backgrounds. This weakens that concept of a black identity, which emerges just as an illusion in tradition. From this premise, it emerges that if tradition were to gain ground, then a black tribe would remain within its confines. This is absurd because the contemporary policy of free movement hinders associations with fellow tribes’ people. I know of certain black people who have different diverse origins and only share the skin color as a form of resemblance.

From the analogy above, it emerges that in the ancient times, free movement was not easy. People often interacted with their tribe’s people and societal groups with whom they shared all the norms together. Technology and other factors like bilateral relations opened doors to have free associations where people intermingled and scopes widened. The intermingling became magnanimous especially with issues like slave trade that saw mass movements of black people to the Americas and Europe (Foreman & Teresa 546). They formed new communities and created new niches adopting their new location’s languages and norms to an extent. Logically, these people did not have tribal ties at this stage but just a color unique from their hosts. Inadvertently, interactions took the form of exchanges. From such associations, free cultures emerged to define love and marriage. Therefore, it becomes baseless to stick to traditional insinuations of homogeneity in a black culture when there was never one in the first place.

Traditional versus popular culture beliefs differ based on the orientation of the personality. Kluegel & Smith observe that most traditionalists have a conservative stance and have developed complacency in similarity. Such people still find it right to maintain a breed in identity. Conservative mindsets have a limitation in terms of interactions and free associations. Stereotypes and prejudices are bound to exist despite having antiracial bills. Such stereotypes have a tendency to rely on past injustices and evils. From a traditional perspective, many people would still feel ill at ease when in the presence of a black person and would choose to mingle with fellow Caucasians. The sentiment is regularly felt at the colored plane too. As Foreman & Teresa (550) note, research had it that black men would often date white women to ease their inferiority complexes. They would often pursue and marry white women as a way of asserting their position in the society. From a traditional perspective, this fits immensely because a difference between these parties exists. One partner would, therefore, be in defiance of the traditions and marry the other race. The tradition sets tags for the colored men as inferior and unworthy of white marriages and the colored men defy this through such marriages. Research shows that such marriages often end in tears and frustrations.

Popular culture presents a different ideal from the traditional inferiority index. Love in the contemporary sense grows from two partners with similar tastes in worldviews. These emergent beliefs tend to advocate for respect and mutual understanding between partners in love regardless of their race or origin. A cultural gap depends on people’s orientations, as the key things to love in a marriage are the sharing of values and ideals. Buckley & Carter assert that real love has no barriers in color or race (p. 46). David Mura, in an interview shares that the secret to the marital success with his white wife lies in the same taste that they have in common. The ideals of popular cultures speak for a unified means of unions in marriages.

Conclusion

Ideally, the nature of global interactions is fast becoming homogeneity of diverse associations. Therefore, traditional implications still stand strong but have a weak score in matters such as marriage. Still, adoption of such perspectives depends on individual preference as issues of marriage and love are tricky and depend entirely on two parties involved. As explained in the paper, the traditional mindset has an inclination to racial trends as it insists on homogeneity when there is diversity. Homogeneity no longer exists, at least not in issues of marital affairs where a partner is for life. The secret to a healthy marital life lies not in traditional beliefs but popular cultures of love and respect for one another. Tradition and race will always be a factor in interracial marriages and relationships, the choice lies with partners in love to focus on stereotypes or look beyond traditional prejudices to real love and understanding as professed by the popular culture.

Self-hate and Reflections of my Daughter by David Mura

As one reads the reflections of David Mura, a poet and passionate writer, a dominant tone of confusion appears in the background. The works majorly dwell upon his choice of marrying a white woman. In one of his poems, he shows a misunderstanding for his choice of getting married to a white woman. He feels that the marriage was a means of escaping from something in him that he cannot fathom. He later fears that his daughter may have to encounter racist contempt because of her mixed backgrounds. Ideally, David is not alone in such retrospections as many people have the notion of interracial marriage as a controversy between love and the need to escape from identity crises. From such controversial cultural insinuations, two paradigms exist, that is, traditional beliefs versus popular cultural ideologies.

Traditional Versus popular culture beliefs

Traditional beliefs vary from popular cultural affiliations of any society. Traditional beliefs emanated from dominant behavior with a root in the origin and homogeneity of a society or class. Traditionally, many societies believe in homogeneity as a form of lifestyle. Such beliefs are informed by ancient norms that dictated associations and unions through vital institutions like marriages. Therefore, traditionally, many people still believe that people should maintain their social and ethnic lines by sticking to their backgrounds in making vital union decisions. Such are the cases of ancient aristocrats and high social class citizens who still believe that the flavor of marriage and continuity of societal traditions lie in intra-ethnic marriage. Therefore, many tradionalists still believe that it is absurd for men of color to marry outside their race. Such beliefs harbor the thought that people have a unique tradition and pride in their race. Such pride, they believe, should remain pure. Any decisions to marry outside their racial norms means that such people are escaping from their cultures. Such escapes from their cultures mean they have identity crises that hinder them from accepting their selves.

In the 20^th century and emerging 21^st century, several ideas have changed and are still changing regarding to such unions. Due to the intermingling of people and the global associations, many ideals of ancient traditions have long begun to break and beliefs in unilateral races and ethnic ties have faded. Perspectives have ceased to dwell upon homogeneity but on a more rational and accommodative approach to society and life. Popular culture involves the sum of memes and outlooks emerging inside a typical culture, which often emanates from the western world. Such popular cultures inform new beliefs especially influenced by the mass media and metropolitan association in the society. From such cultures, ideas like love and interracial marriages thrive. Idyllically, popular culture believes that marriage outside one’s race for colored men is not a form of identity escape but a means of expressing love with unlimited boundaries.

Whether based on popular culture or traditional beliefs, marriage between colored men and other races has become a controversial issue. This paper presents a variety of cases of such marriages with an aim of conducting a comparative nuance of the two beliefs. The analysis focuses on black people as a culture block.

While many believe that a black culture exists among black people, the contrary is true. People take for granted the fact that black people have a unified culture that binds them together. Looking at African countries where all black population inherently originated, there are as many cultures as there are tribes out there. Looking at Nigeria, for instance, the country has over 200 tribes with unique cultures from one another probably just sharing the skin likeness (black) (Kluegel & Smith, 123). Culture is in no account the skin color, but a way of life of a people. The way of life dwells upon facts of languages, dialects and such factors that bind a tribe or group together. On this fact, many blacks living in a society even in America have diverse backgrounds. This weakens that concept of a black identity, which emerges just as an illusion in tradition. From this premise, it emerges that if tradition were to gain ground, then a black tribe would remain within its confines. This is absurd because the contemporary policy of free movement hinders associations with fellow tribes’ people. I know of certain black people who have different diverse origins and only share the skin color as a form of resemblance.

From the analogy above, it emerges that in the ancient times, free movement was not easy. People often interacted with their tribe’s people and societal groups with whom they shared all the norms together. Technology and other factors like bilateral relations opened doors to have free associations where people intermingled and scopes widened. The intermingling became magnanimous especially with issues like slave trade that saw mass movements of black people to the Americas and Europe (Foreman & Teresa 546). They formed new communities and created new niches adopting their new location’s languages and norms to an extent. Logically, these people did not have tribal ties at this stage but just a color unique from their hosts. Inadvertently, interactions took the form of exchanges. From such associations, free cultures emerged to define love and marriage. Therefore, it becomes baseless to stick to traditional insinuations of homogeneity in a black culture when there was never one in the first place.

Traditional versus popular culture beliefs differ based on the orientation of the personality. Kluegel & Smith observe that most traditionalists have a conservative stance and have developed complacency in similarity. Such people still find it right to maintain a breed in identity. Conservative mindsets have a limitation in terms of interactions and free associations. Stereotypes and prejudices are bound to exist despite having antiracial bills. Such stereotypes have a tendency to rely on past injustices and evils. From a traditional perspective, many people would still feel ill at ease when in the presence of a black person and would choose to mingle with fellow Caucasians. The sentiment is regularly felt at the colored plane too. As Foreman & Teresa (550) note, research had it that black men would often date white women to ease their inferiority complexes. They would often pursue and marry white women as a way of asserting their position in the society. From a traditional perspective, this fits immensely because a difference between these parties exists. One partner would, therefore, be in defiance of the traditions and marry the other race. The tradition sets tags for the colored men as inferior and unworthy of white marriages and the colored men defy this through such marriages. Research shows that such marriages often end in tears and frustrations.

Popular culture presents a different ideal from the traditional inferiority index. Love in the contemporary sense grows from two partners with similar tastes in worldviews. These emergent beliefs tend to advocate for respect and mutual understanding between partners in love regardless of their race or origin. A cultural gap depends on people’s orientations, as the key things to love in a marriage are the sharing of values and ideals. Buckley & Carter assert that real love has no barriers in color or race (p. 46). David Mura, in an interview shares that the secret to the marital success with his white wife lies in the same taste that they have in common. The ideals of popular cultures speak for a unified means of unions in marriages.

Conclusion

Ideally, the nature of global interactions is fast becoming homogeneity of diverse associations. Therefore, traditional implications still stand strong but have a weak score in matters such as marriage. Still, adoption of such perspectives depends on individual preference as issues of marriage and love are tricky and depend entirely on two parties involved. As explained in the paper, the traditional mindset has an inclination to racial trends as it insists on homogeneity when there is diversity. Homogeneity no longer exists, at least not in issues of marital affairs where a partner is for life. The secret to a healthy marital life lies not in traditional beliefs but popular cultures of love and respect for one another. Tradition and race will always be a factor in interracial marriages and relationships, the choice lies with partners in love to focus on stereotypes or look beyond traditional prejudices to real love and understanding as professed by the popular culture.