In two decades, predicts Princeton demographer Joshua R. Goldstein, most Americans will live in just such multiracial families. Many already do. Thirty years ago, one American child in 100 had parents of different races. One American in five can count someone from a different racial group among his or her kin, says Dr. Goldstein. And as the boundaries weaken, intermarriage increases.
Intermarriage is both a cause and an effect.
So you have a virtuous circle. The family may provide a means of integrating an otherwise racially divided society. Mostly, they just fall in love. Muntaz Ali, a newcomer to Halifax in the 1950s, was just out for an evening of fun when he attended a Halloween party with a friend. He had recently come from Trinidad to study medicine.