The Last Taboo

Salaam,

This article is four years old, but it's still the truth.

Black and Indian relationships: Is this the last taboo?

"But although they share a history of struggle against racism, concealed underneath are deep and ugly fault lines - fault lines that can split apart when people from these two communities fall in love with each other." - BBC, June 2006

I learned this in college, not in high school. In high school, I had no idea such taboos existed, even though my best friend was Bengali/Indian...for various reasons, her family was more liberal, anyway.

One of my friends, who is Hindu, told me once, "My parents told me that I can end up with anyone, as long as they aren't black or Muslim."

I laughed, "Really, there's nothing worse than that, huh?"

She then looked at me and smiled. "Chinyere, will you marry me?" We both got a laugh out of that one.

My friend pretty much exclusively dated black men, and before that had been involved with a Muslim. She must have wanted to kill her parents, haha. She told me that she would marry her Nigerian dude, that I should marry her brother. And I was like, "Yes, and then we'll live in one house and have a reality show!"

I mean, sometimes it is insulting when groups consider you to be the absolute last person they want their children to end up with because of race, but what are you going to do? Sit and fume and worry about what people think of you, how they see you as unacceptable, wonder why? Life goes on in a big way. Sometimes you just have to laugh it off, dust your shoulders off, keep going.

Because seriously, if all of these mamas of various races, ethnicities and religions knew how awesome I was, they'd be knocking down my door trying to set me up with their sons, and you'd best believe this! They'd forget their beef with me for being a Muslim Igbo or a black Muslim or whatever else. Now, would their sons appreciate it? Probably not, haha, but I'm telling you! I have to live this awesomeness! No more second guessing myself or waiting for the ultimate validation.

Now excuse me...I'm going to take a leisurely walk (in 90 degree weather) to the library...hmm...or I may just take the T...it's 90 degrees...

Wasalaam.