IN THIS interesting entry about interracial marriage and the movie Mississippi Masala, the reader Jane. S. described the racial dynamics in the film. She used the phrase, “race trumps everything” to explain the end result of the interactions between the movie’s African blacks and Indians. A reader was very upset by this particular comment. She interpreted it in a literal way to mean that there are no human loyalties or obligations that transcend race.

Jane, who was once married to a man from a different race, now explains her meaning, which was that race often trumps the very best intentions in marriage. She writes:

Mrs. Campbell seems quite upset about the phrase “race trumps everything” and wants to know what I mean by that. To be honest, I don’t know precisely, so I’ll go back to the place where I first used it.

The Indian attorney in Mississippi Masala is born and raised in Uganda, and considers it his beloved homeland; he spends his entire life in good relations with blacks, he has a black friend he loves like a brother. All that goes out the window in a heartbeat, and he and his family are deported, just because of their race. He is afraid that his daughter may find herself in a similar circumstance, if she marries a guy from another race. There is no point in saying things like that don’t happen; they already have. (more…)

MORE COMMENTS have been added to this entry about the efforts of a young black man to find a wife. Also, in that thread, I emphatically reject a statement made by a commenter yesterday that black women are “sexually unappealing to men of all races.” I unfortunately scanned over that comment when it was first posted yesterday. It is an incomprehensible and clearly false statement given the procreative record of black women, not to mention their objective physical qualities. It is also mean-spirited.

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A YOUNG MAN from Massachusetts writes:

I decided to write in response to the race and marriage conversation that has been taking place on your site in the past week. I am a black young man in my early twenties who has been wrestling with the idea of interracial marriage for quite some time. I get along extremely well with conservative whites and am an active member of my local Roman Catholic parish, which is quite traditional. (more…)

JEANETTE V. writes:

The man and woman in the back seat of a car is an ad for Jaguar. You can see more here.

The next one is an ad I received in my e-mail hawking Photoshop actions used to enhance photos. I will not be purchasing any of that business’s products.

Adriana writes:

The white woman and black man in the Jaguar ad are the two of the stars of the TV show “30 Rock.” 30 Rock features an ensemble cast, so one might try to argue that the advertisers specifically picked out a white woman and a black man from that cast, except anyone who watches the show will know that Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan play the two “always-at-odds” stars of the in-show television show (it’s a show about a TV show).

Laura writes:

Adriana’s point places the Jaguar ad in a different context.

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JANE S. writes:

Mississippi Masala (1992) is a movie that explores the issue of biracial marriage rather well (Spoiler alert). It’s about a man who is a third-generation Indian immigrant in Uganda. He spends his entire life in close relationships with blacks. As an attorney, he valiantly defends the rights of blacks. Then Idi Amin comes into power and expels the Indians. The man learns that his dearest childhood friend supports Amin’s decision to deport Indians, including him. He realizes that, at the end of the day, race trumps everything.

He and his family wind up in Mississippi running a motel. Their grown daughter falls in love with a young black man in the community. Her father objects to this strongly. (more…)

PAUL writes about the recent discussions here on interracial marriage and relationships:

This is an extremely important topic for me and the West. I recall many years ago attending yet another wasteful business conference. I am white, and I date white women only. I met a very dark but wholly European-featured Hispanic young lady (whose elegance and heritage proved to me she was brought up in a middle-class or wealthy family and attended American Catholic schools, although she never said it, and I don’t pry). (more…)