It’s Season 2 of the My American Meltingpot podcast! Welcome Back!
On episode 10 of the podcast, we’re talking about interracial friendships in real life and in pop culture.
Not Everybody Has a Black or Brown Friend
Even though I grew up in mostly white spaces and lived in one of the most segregated cities in America, I always had friends of different races, ethnicities and religions. In college and in my adult life, that has remained constant. But my life experiences aren’t so common.
Studies show that only 15 percent of the American population can claim at least one friend of a different race. That means 85 percent of Americans live without any real connections to people who are different from themselves. To me that is concerning. Deeply concerning.
I started to wonder if the reason we see so few interracial friendships in pop culture is because in reality there aren’t that many to emulate? Was the call for “just one Black friend” on the TV show Friends unrealistic? Or is it the other way around? Are people in real life less likely to cross the color line for friendships because they never see them in pop culture products like books, TV and movies?
What’s at Stake for Society?
Joining me to dig into this discussion about interracial friendships is Clarissa Cruz, one of my “interracial friends” and a features editor at Entertainment Weekly. We talk about:
• Why interracial friendships are good for society
• Why interracial friendships are more common for racial and ethnic minorities
• Some of the best examples of interracial friendships in movies and on TV
• Some of the worst examples of interracial friendships in movies and TV
• Why we see interracial friendships depicted in children’s and teen literature but not in adult literature
• Where pop culture is heading with their more nuanced portrayals of interracial friendships
RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW
If you want to learn more about the state of interracial friendships in America, check out this article about the true state of interracial friendships in America from ThoughtCo. Then read this follow-up article that explains what some of the barriers to interracial friendships are, like segregated housing and schooling.
If you’re not convinced that interracial friendships could in fact, be a useful tool in solving our country’s “race problem,” read this very convincing article – Instead of More Conversations about Race, We Need More Cross-Cultural Friendships – from Beacon Broadside.
And for a snarkier take on why – if you are a person of color – you should find some white friends, read this article from HuffPo.
On the show, Clarissa and I mentioned some movies, TV shows and books that depict interracial friendships that we respect and like. Here is a sampling.
Workin’ Moms -Series on Netflix
To All the Boys I Loved Before – Movie on Netflix
Little Fires Everywhere – Book by Celeste Ng
The Fast and the Furious Franchise
We didn’t mention this on the show, but I’d add the book, Little Bee by Chris Cleve to the mix.
If you want to follow Clarissa Cruz, catch her byline in Entertainment Weekly, or on social, on Instagram or Twitter
If you want to learn more about the Five Shorts Program, mentioned during the Meltingpot Minute, check out their website and/or plan to attend their big screening for this year’s filmmakers in Philadelphia.
