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INTRODUCTION
Skin color has long divided people. The prejudice of racism is world-wide, even today. Thus, the question on the possibility of interracial relationship is of great importance. In America, as we continue to see the influx of people from all different cultures, Black and White couples dating are seen everywhere but still not widely accepted. There would always be a problem. Whites would not heartily accept that people of their color are beginning to have an interest on Blacks. On the other hand, Blacks would still feel the same for they fear that the Whites are luring people of their own color.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Racial discrimination is the practice of making unfavorable distinction between the members of different races. This is most prevalent in the United States where Blacks are inferior to Whites. However, people feel that discrimination against the Blacks should be put to an end, that is why laws, movements and discussions are formed. Although conditions improved through the efforts of a certain Abolition Movement, discrimination is still part of American life.
RACISM
The term 'racism' according to the World Council of Churches and the United Nations, refers to actions that result from any attitude of comparison of one group to another group with negative or destructive results. RACISM is any communication, action or course of conduct, whether intentional or unintentional, which denies recognition, benefits, rights of access or otherwise abrogates or derogates from the constitutionally recognized rights and freedoms of any person or community on the basis of their membership or perceived membership in a racial, ethnic or cultural community.
Racism as communication is very much evident in the way other people look at a couple from two different race. Before, racism could only be felt when whites act superior to the blacks. Things such as Black slavery is no longer present in the modern times but one could not not feel being discriminated if he/she engages in an interracial relationship.
INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Interracial relationships are those between people of two (or more) different races, between Blacks and Whites, between African Americans and Asian Americans, Latin Americans and Native Americans and all others, not just Caucasians who date non-Caucasians. Nowadays, interracial relationships are far more common than what media presents.
In this light, interracial relationships from the point of view of racial activists should be seen not differently as any other kind of love relationships. It is their cry that people who engage in this kind of relationship should be given fair treatment. Racist remarks are enough, let's not add more to that by looking at interracial relationship like some kind of trash. Hearts, when hit by love, would surely conquer all.
SYNOPSIS:
Sara and Derek come from two different worlds---two different cultures. But still they love the same thing---dance!
Sara stopped dreaming of becoming a ballerina after her mother's death. Because of this, she was forced to move out to her father's ghetto apartment in the inner-city of Chicago. While going to a high-school that is predominantly of black students, Sara soon found herself once again.
White kid Sara became friends with black kids Chenille, an unwed teenage mother and her brother Derek, who later became her love interest. Sara and Derek's first encounter was not a good one. But later on, they discovered that they have the same passion, and that is to dance. Derek patiently guided Sara into the world of hip-hop, with him as the crown prince of a disco club in the country. Dance lessons led to another, and soon led to romance.
From the very beginning, both knew that they have yet to contend with people because of their relationship. Sara's father were very much against of her daughter going out with a black guy. On the other hand, most black women students in their high-school also resented the concept of a black guy dating white girl. The couple's problem would not only fight for their differences. They also had to face the opposition of the people around them.
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Sara and Derek's romance is one example of an interracial relationship. Even up to know, it is difficult for others to accept that people from different races would accept and fall in love with each other. A product of culture-crossing of some people, having a relationship such as this is inevitable. Every country you go, one could not not meet different people from different cultural background.
Racism was mostly experienced by the blacks. But in the movie, it seemed that the whites, as represented by Sara, was discriminated. This is portrayed in scenes when Sara was coldly welcomed by students in her new high school. Seeing a white kid in a school composed mostly of black students looks weird but in some countries, it is like that.
It was difficult for the girl to fit in at first but it was a good thing that she soon found her way to blend into the crowd. However, one could see that the whites were treated as a minority in the film. Since the students are mostly blacks, the number of the whites justify that they really should be in the minority. White students not numbering to more than five percent of the school population could not take over the student body.
Violence as a way of discrimination against the whites are not so apparent in the film. But what the some of the characters said to Sara surely hurt her and made her feel that she was really different from them.
Even from the very start, the couple knew that they would be facing problems. People would stare at them for their relationship. However, they were always ready how to deal with criticisms.
One incident that showed their boldness was when one woman disgustingly stared at them while on the train. They started flirting with each other to show to the woman that they don't care what the society tells of them.
Sara's dad was also not in favor of their budding romance because he feared that a black guy would be no good for her daughter. This is what most parents in the United States fear. For their child to fall in love with someone of different color is a shame to their culture.
According to Malaki, the juvenile delinquent friend of Derek, white women are no good for the blacks, especially referring to Sara. He warned Derek that he should watch his back for this white woman mean nothing but trouble. These statements only proved that most blacks in the film are discriminating of the whites. Malaki also told Derek that Sara was beginning to get in his head. For him, white girls coming onto the black guys only want more admiration from them. Black's life is meant to be a mayhem so they should just leave things as they are. According to Malaki, succeeding in life for the blacks is impossible so why act as if dreams will come true?
Nikki, Derek's ex-flame also felt that white girls like Sara was getting in her way. Not only in the guy's attention, but in everything. Nikki implied that white girls like her(Sara) are always in the way of them blacks. White women are starting to take over their men. She said that the world is not enough for the whites so they're gonna conquer the blacks' world too. Sara however did not mean that to appear. She wasn't trying to get the Derek for power but because of love, so she said.
More problem arose when Chenille, Sara's friend started stopping her from seeing his brother Derek. Chenille argued that the couple acted like it won't hurt other people to see them together. Sara, not being a racist simply believed that what she and Derek have is a real relationship, that they really like each other and that there really is no big deal about that. According to her(Chen), Derek is up to something big, he's motivated and smart, and he's different from the other black guys. And now here Sara comes, a white woman,taking one decent man they have left. Chenille made a generalization that that is what white women are doing now, taking over the black men. She defended that that was what Nikki was up in all the world. Sara on the other hand argued that there is only one world, white and black alike are all equal. Chenille didn't buy that, because she believed that that was only what whites were taught.
There was only one part of the movie that showed Sara not wanting Derek to be superior to him. Sara said that she doesn't want him dictating her to dance. This only showed that a little part of Sara didn't want to be stepped on by anybody, especially by a black. That incident however did not give rise to much complication. Sara just wanted to breathe and think about what they were having. That showed that she, a white woman, still has some fears and still needs to consider issues first with regards to their relationship. Since nobody wants to see them together and since they spend more time defending their relationship more than being together, why not cool it off for a while. It was a difficult decision for both of them but they had to, or so it seemed. This part subtlety showed that the whites still have their way over the blacks.
Indeed, the issue of blacks and whites living in different worlds is addressed several times in the text, but the script oversimplifies the race struggles to the point of insult.. Looking at the film first seemed to favor the blacks but if one would analyze it, blacks are still treated differently from the whites.
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