by Mike Sopranik

Created on: October 26, 2009

Racism... Big word, big issue. Yes, it does exist and probably will forever with select people. I'm in an interracial relationship in the Southern United States and we constantly experience the big "Are you two together?" It should no longer be an issue even in the southern states, but yes, it is prevalent on both sides, black and white. People want to know why and how you got together. Does it really matter? I know of no one that is that concerned with a white couple together or with a black couple together.

We recently went to a restaurant that was the site of our first date. I parked the car while she went in to get us seated. I entered the restaurant and she was fuming. Immediately the greeter asked if I was a party of one. I replied that no it was us as a couple. This is when I found out that even though she had been standing directly in front of the greeter she had been ignored and two other groups had been seated. We no longer patronize that restaurant chain.

When we go to clubs, predominantly white or black we always get stares and glares from someone. Who cares? We don't. We find it sad yet funny in a twisted way. For all the interracial couples out there, we all need to get T-shirts with the slogan- "I'm with that one". This will make life easier for cashiers, greeters and the occasional idiot that can't fathom interracial relationships.

Edited version: I saw her at a club. I thought she was attractive. I asked her out to dinner. We have been together for four years. She saw me at a club. She thought I was attractive. She accepted the dinner invitation. We've been together for four years.

This all sounds very normal to me. We like the same types of movies, we love motorcycles, we like to go to clubs, we like the same foods, we enjoy the same friends. Still sounds very normal to me. Our kids like both sides in the relationship, we have a black and a white dogand they like each other. Normalcy is a vague concept for most people. We are not considered normal to some. We are happy yet different, but not that different.

Am I white or black? Bet you don't know until you see us in public.

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