According to U.S. Census reports, interracial marriages have more than tripled between 1980 and today. There are currently 1.6 million interracial marriages in the United States and this figure continues to grow (Duru, 2012). Statistics show that over 70% of American society has no problem with mixed race relationships, and 40% of Americans have already dated someone of another ethnicity. For the most part, relationships between people of different races are no different from interactions between people of the same race (Duru, 2012). In the early years, interracial marriages were illegal in the United States. The biggest problem our country faced regarding interracial relationships emerged during the era of slavery. The rape of African American women by plantation owners and other powerful whites during this period cast an ugly shadow over relationships between black women and white men. On the other hand, African American men who even looked at a white woman could be killed, and brutally so (Nittle, 2000). As black slavery became institutionalized in the United States, anti-miscegenation laws emerged that prohibited such unions, thus stigmatizing them (Nittle, 2000). In 1959 an interracial Virginia couple, Perry and Mildred Loving, were sentenced to a year in prison for violating the Racial Integrity Act. That act prohibited marriage between a white and a nonwhite. The Supreme Court struck down all miscegenation laws in 1967, shortly after hearing that case (Ballinger 2010). Interracial couples always face discrimination from other races. The problems faced by interracial couples are often the result of negative social attitudes toward interracial relationships. Homes of interracial families have...... middle of paper......American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), (n.d.) Multiracial children. familyresource.com. Retrieved from http://www.familyresource.com/parenting/miscellaneous/multiracial-childrenBallinger, C. (2010). Interracial couples face discrimination from others. Lubbock Avalanche Journal. Retrieved from http://www.lubbockonline.com Burrello, K. (2004). What are the strengths of interracial families? Retrieved from http://www.diversitydtg.com Duru, F. (2012). Interracial relationships: An overview of the issues. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com(2003). Interracial marriages. encyclopedia.com.http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3406900238.htmlNittle, N. (2000) Interracial relationships: a rundown of issues. About.com Guide. Retrieved from http://racerelations.about.com/od/interracialrelationships/a/InterracialRelationshipsIssues_2.htm