Anushka Asthna recommends mixed race marriages on Comment Is Free.
The Observer’s Anushka Asthana has written a lovely piece for Comment Is Free about the first 3 months of her mixed marriage….
Anushka Asthana: A cross-cultural marriage is an adventure I’d recommend
Mixed-race unions in this country are on the increase, a magical journey that benefits all the families involved…
It is a trend that has been welcomed by many (including our parents, thankfully) and vocally opposed by some. In the extreme cases, it comes as little surprise: I wouldn’t expect great support from BNP members. Nor perhaps from a justice of the peace across in the US, in Louisiana, who has recently faced disciplinary action after refusing to marry his fourth mixed-race couple on the grounds that it would be unfair to any children they had. But I have also come across people who are neither extreme nor racist but who have expressed reservations about mixed-race marriages. I’ve heard them argue that cultural differences can be a barrier – something to consider when choosing a spouse; that similar backgrounds create the best chance of success.
Often, it is the minority groups themselves that are making these arguments. I certainly have friends from a number of backgrounds whose parents have been upset when they got together with someone of a different race or religion.
It is really great to see an article like this on Comment Is Free, particularly one that recognises the parrallels between the anti-mixing arguments of the BNP and those of some minority groups. Positive reporting of the benefits of mixed race relationships is critical if we are to rebuff race purists of all colours.
Anushka Asthana has had a great career at the Observer, and this post really shows her coming of age there. She kicked off this year with an exclusive, reporting that 1 in 10 childen live in a mixed-race family, and is clearly going to be a voice of reason for many years to come. If she can make the link between mixed race marriage, free choice in marriage and the campaigns against forced marriage, she will truly be a force for change.
