Every couple faces challenges; whether it is trust issues, insecurities, or misunderstandings. A challenge that two Sun Devils face is their different skin colors.
Arizona State University students, Meghan Hoogervorst and Edmond Baker, III, officially started dating in late September. Meghan and Edmond have a lot in common; they are both seeking an undergraduate degree in the science field, juniors at ASU, raised in Arizona and listen to the same music. Their biggest difference would be the color of their skin.
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Even though it bothers other people, the couple tries not to let it faze them too much.
“We aren’t trying to make other people happy, we’re just focused on making each other happy,” Meghan said.
However, Edmond and Meghan did acknowledge that they do face challenges from time to time. Baker explained that because of a past situation with an ex-girlfriend, his parents were a little hesitant about him dating another Caucasian female.
“It has nothing to do with Meghan. It is just the fact that generally there can be problems with a black person dating a white person because even though it is somewhat accepted by society, there is still bitterness toward it,” Edmond said.
Meghan enjoys spending time with the Baker family but said she is used to a more relaxed relationship with her family.
“Our parents have different standards and I don’t always know what is expected of me,” Meghan said.
Edmond said their upbringing shines through in the way they act in certain situations and how they interact with people. He said that although all parents raise their children a bit differently, race has a large role in it.
“I know typically not just black people but minorities in general demand more respect from youth,” Edmond explained.
Edmond and Meghan said even though there are some difficulties, they are learning a lot in the relationship.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” Edmond said.
Neighbor of Edmond and roommate of Meghan, Alyssa Mittelhauser, explained that because it is the couple’s first serious relationship they are tackling ordinary situations that come up for new couples, as well as tackling being different races and seeing how society reacts to them together.
Alyssa said she knows there are uncertainties amongst family and general public but that both her neighbor and roommate are learning from it. She added that younger generations seem to be more open to the idea of interracial relationships than older generations.
“Even though it is called interracial dating, I don’t think people should define it as white and black,” Edmond said. “Beauty is not dependent upon race.”
Alyssa supports their relationship, “I don’t think it matters what color they are because you can tell they make each other happy and have fun together,” Alyssa said. “That is all that really matters.”