Interracial Relationships, as Seen on TV

                I grew up on Disney movies, and I can honestly say (without any shame whatsoever) that I’ve seen at least 95% of them.  Thankfully, though, I also grew up with parents who told me that I could date anyone from any race or ethnical background that I wanted.  Otherwise, I certainly wouldn’t have learned that lesson from Disney.

I remember, oh so very clearly, sitting in my unfinished basement with my mom and two-year-old sister, watching High School Musical for the very first time as it premiered on Disney Channel in 2006.  I sat there watching as Troy and Gabriella fell in love, and as all of their friends paired off as well.  Back then, I didn’t think anything of how these couples paired off, but after my exposure to my Race in America class, as well as the book Racism without Racists by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, my point of view has drastically changed. 

What I’d like to point out about High School Musical (which is a movie I love and hold very dear to my heart, don’t get me wrong) is the blatant separation between races.  Troy Bolton, the main character and protagonist of the film, is best friends with Chad Danforth, who just so happens to be African American.  Gabriella Montez, Troy’s love interest and fellow protagonist, becomes best friends with Taylor McKessie, who is – you guessed it – also African American. 

Now, one may see this and believe that this represents integration of the races, as the two main characters are both good friends with someone of a different race.  However, Troy and Gabriella fall in love, as do Chad and Taylor, and this instead represents segregation in its simplest form.  And, sadly, it serves as a representation of our society today.  According to Bonilla-Silva in Racism without Racists, out of all marriages in 1993, “only 0.4% were black-white unions” (36).  How are we ever going to break the cycle if we don’t have any examples set before us?  How are kids ever going to believe that interracial marriages are okay and acceptable if nothing every changes, either in the media or in real life?

The Disney movie Prom falls into this same trap.  Another movie about high schoolers, Prom is about just that: prom.  It tells the story of high school juniors and seniors getting ready for their big night, and it follows the stories of all of the power couples in the school.  This movie, even more so than High School Musical, is blatant in its separation of the races.  There is the athletic power couple – Jordan and Tyler – who are both African American.  Then there is the smart, been-together-since-middle couple – Mei and Justin – who are both Asian.  And lastly, there is the mismatched, cliché, good girl and bad boy couple – Nova and Jesse – who are both white. 

Taking it a step further than High School Musical, the movie Prom not only pairs off these couples based on race, but also labels them with the general stereotype of that race.  Blacks are often seen as being good at sports, whereas Asians are considered smart and dedicated.  Lastly, the white couple takes on the cliché seen in so many movies: the nice girl makes the misunderstood “bad boy” go good.  While many youngsters watching this film may not look into this issue very deeply, the seeds are planted in their brains: you can only date people of your same race.  And, taking it a step further: people of your same race tend to be similar to you and carry certain stereotypical qualities.

This is a serious issue, one that wouldn’t even be that difficult to change.  If more interracial couples are shown as being successful in movies and on television shows alike, kids will grow up with the idea that these relationships are normal and acceptable.  Currently, kids all over America are growing up with the unconscious belief that interracial marriages don’t exist.  While these relationships may not be as common as relationships of the same race, they do happen.  And, if the mindset of people can be altered by a change in what is represented in the media, I would venture to say that interracial relationships would become more prevalent in our society today.