[P. Hall]

I was raised in New York City and went to a very diverse school. Although I am Puerto Rican, I am very light. My ex-boyfriend was black. Since I dated another black guy prior to him, my white friends wouldn't set me up with any of their male friends, thinking I was disinterested. However, my black friends were very vocal about their distaste in black men dating white women. When I would ask them why they accepted me, they said it was because I was Spanish. Somehow that absolved me of any wrong against black women I would have displaced. Why? And what's with this thing, 'Once you go black, you never go back?'

User Detail :  

Name : P. Hall, Gender : F, Race : Puerto Rican, Age : 24, City : Zephyrhills, State : FL Country : United States, 

[Ken]

My theory on why you were more "acceptable" to black women is simple: Whites in this country are still viewed by many as the "oppressor," and to a lot of black people, any intimate dealings with them is tantamount to treason. When a black man dates a white woman, many black men and women see this as sleeping with the enemy. Your Spanish heritage, however, in this country makes you a minority, and as such, you are (in their eyes) in the same boat as African Amnericans. (And in some respects, with regard to the way you may be treated in this nation, it's true, although that is another issue.)

Also, many blacks claim a bit of Spanish heritage in their family tree. And when they look at places such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, etc., they see a lot of black faces. So they feel some kinship to you, and therefore accept you as "one of us." So they have drawn up the lines: whites are the oppressor and African Americans, Spanish and other minorities are on the same side.

As for the stupid cliche, "Once you go black..." it is a saying that is based on the stupid stereotype that people of African descent are some sort of sexual superbeings, and that one sexual encounter with them makes you partial to them for life, ignoring the role that love and other emotions play in a sexual relationship. I for one don't understand why blacks themselves would promote this stupid stereotype that reduces men to modern-day Mandingos (ask someone).

User Detail :  

Name : Ken, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Catholic, Age : 32, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : marketing, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Stacey]

I've dated outside my race several times. Most black women have a problem with interracial dating between white women and black men because they feel as if white women are "stealing our men" and that they are taking the good black men away since there are so few available out there (according to some). I for one think you should date whomever you want to date if that's your preference.

User Detail :  

Name : Stacey, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Methodist, Age : 27, City : Birmingham, State : AL Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

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