<p>It is said that American society up to around 1950 came in three flavors, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. That America was intolerant of interracial marriage, which was against the law in many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-miscegenation_laws_in_the_United_States" rel="nofollow">states</a>.</p>

<p>An ice-cream metaphor for modern American society is Baskin-Robbins' 31 flavors. That society puts a premium on "diversity," including in dating and marriage.</p>

<p>Some people will want "variety" and will seek it through interracial marriage.  Others will prefer uniformity and shun it. A third group may be swayed by a "side" factor, such as the chance to upgrade one's genes, or simply because they like a particular person, regardless of race.</p>

<p>But society defines and sometimes restricts our choices. The America of 1950 suppressed the "variety-seeking" type of people, meaning that only the bravest would violate then-prevailing taboos. It was only in the 1970s and later that one found many couples like the parents of (Yankees' baseball player) Derek Jeter (black father, white mother). But the success of that one couple may have encouraged many more.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-10T14:40:37.600Z
2016-05-16T12:08:01.893Z
2016-05-16T12:08:01.893Z
Tom Au
<ol>
<li>Is it true that we were evolved to dislike people of other races genetically?</li>
<li>If so, why are some people attracted to people of races other than their own?</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-08T04:32:44.157Z
It's not true. Race isn't even a scientifically tenable concept really – genetic ancestry isn't classifiable into a usefully brief list of categories.
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-09T07:33:59.513Z
Race is not a biologically meaningful category. This question, I believe, is best answerable by a cultural anthropologist.
lea
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-16T14:28:46.703Z
Why are some (and not others?) attracted to people of other races?  This is surely a matter of socialisation.  Curiosity?  We must consider too that if there is not some underlying genetic drive to 'mix it up', then why not?  Diverse populations do tend to handle disease better, and sexual males in society perceivably rank better in an outward context from having 'tasted the rainbow'.
PCARR
<social-psychology><evolution><physical-attraction><cross-cultural-psychology>
Why are some people attracted to people of other races?
user16795
# Why are some people attracted to people of other races?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-08)

1. Is it true that we were evolved to dislike people of other races genetically?
2. If so, why are some people attracted to people of races other than their own?

**Tags:** social-psychology, evolution, physical-attraction, cross-cultural-psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's not true. Race isn't even a scientifically tenable concept really – genetic ancestry isn't classifiable into a usefully brief list of categories.  
> **username_2**: Race is not a biologically meaningful category. This question, I believe, is best answerable by a cultural anthropologist.  
> **username_3**: Why are some (and not others?) attracted to people of other races?  This is surely a matter of socialisation.  Curiosity?  We must consider too that if there is not some underlying genetic drive to 'mix it up', then why not?  Diverse populations do tend to handle disease better, and sexual males in society perceivably rank better in an outward context from having 'tasted the rainbow'.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-07-10. Score: 2

It is said that American society up to around 1950 came in three flavors, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. That America was intolerant of interracial marriage, which was against the law in many [states](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-miscegenation_laws_in_the_United_States).

An ice-cream metaphor for modern American society is Baskin-Robbins' 31 flavors. That society puts a premium on "diversity," including in dating and marriage.

Some people will want "variety" and will seek it through interracial marriage. Others will prefer uniformity and shun it. A third group may be swayed by a "side" factor, such as the chance to upgrade one's genes, or simply because they like a particular person, regardless of race.

But society defines and sometimes restricts our choices. The America of 1950 suppressed the "variety-seeking" type of people, meaning that only the bravest would violate then-prevailing taboos. It was only in the 1970s and later that one found many couples like the parents of (Yankees' baseball player) Derek Jeter (black father, white mother). But the success of that one couple may have encouraged many more.


---

