Miami dating black

04-05-2016, 11:17 AM

How is the Interracial Dating Scene in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area, who dates who??? White, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians other. Cubans/Haitian populations. Is it pretty much the norm with Interracial Dating, and what Racial groups and makeups are most common in the area? Are there lots of stairs like typical America or are most people ok with all groups and Combos dating or are there issues?

04-05-2016, 12:23 PM

It happens, but from my experience, the majority of people in Miami will choose to "stay in their own lane" - mostly because family members who also live here make too big of a fuss. Most common couples I see are white/African-American, white/non-white Latino, or non-white Cuban/Black Caribbean. It seems extremely rare for white Cubans to date anybody but other white Cubans, or white Caribbean or South Americans - the people I know say because their wealthy parents would freak. Most of this is along culture lines though in Miami - people will tend to stay with someone of a similar culture, or same religion, and so it would be more common for say a Black Caribbean person to date a Caribbean person with a tan complexion, than in many cases for them to date an African-American person who recently moved to Miami from say Indiana. People are usually very close to their families in Miami, and tend to have large extended families living locally, so if their cousins or uncles don't approve, that can hold a lot of sway because if you see each other regularly, you're going to be going out together with the younger relations a lot. If they don't like you, you're out.

So in some cases the dating is very race-conscious, and in others its really more about just having a lot in common culturally. Being exceptionally in-shape and well-kept, and/or wealthy, will tend to trump a lot of concerns about crossing a color or cultural barrier, though.

A lot of people in Miami seem to have a kind of sexual fascination with crossing economic barriers to "go slumming" or "date up," so if you're reasonably hot you won't have trouble getting a date with someone on the other side of the financial fence probably, but most of those relationships rarely last because money is a major factor in lifestyle in Miami. It nearly always ends up being a big problem with the families if you don't have close to the same amount of means.

Miami is like most other places in the US, except slightly more liberal in some ways (like people are not likely to try to kill a same sex couple they see on the street), and slightly more conservative in others (there are the least interracial couples in Miami of any major city I've previously lived in, and Miami is way more race-conscious in general, and segregated, than any other major city I've lived in).

I don't think people will stare so much, as it's just not as common for other reasons. Less of a moral thing, and more of an issue with what Mamita or Papi thinks, or a lack of culture in common.

Note: There aren't all that many Asians in Miami, and so from what a few people I know have told me, the dating life is not great and you're pretty much stuck to dating the few other Asian people you might run into, or someone else who's willing to date someone Asian. The general rule in Miami, though, is if you're attractive and are a good dancer, you have a good shot at getting dates no matter what!

04-05-2016, 01:48 PM

I guess it depends who you hang around with because I'm surrounded by mixed couples an no one thinks anything of it. Mixed religions, mixed colors, mixed ethnicities, same sex, etc.

04-05-2016, 01:59 PM

In a City like Miami, I guess I can see both of the Prev. posters points on this. It can be who you are around, if you are Originally from Miami, and your family back ground or Culture. I can see Age factor being a Major issue as well, especially in the Cuban Community.

04-05-2016, 06:05 PM

I am in the 50+ age group and my parents, in-laws, their friends are in their 70's and 80's, many Cubans among them. No problems with interracial couples, interfaith couples and same sex couples. If they have problems with it, they keep it to themselves. Like I said, it depends who you associate with. Racism happens in any culture, not one is immune.

04-05-2016, 11:35 PM

lol and do you think that relationship would happen anywhere else? In argentina? White upper class hispanics, especially from Argentina will often (not always, don't get offended my Argentinian friends) avoid relationships with darker peoples. Blame it on the culture, not the city.

But yeah, Miami it is usually stick to your own group.

04-09-2016, 01:48 PM

Note: Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are not at all the same city, and should not be lumped together. I am not as familiar with the Ft. Lauderdale dating scene, but from what I know it seems to be more open to intercultural exchange, and interracial dating a bit more common. For more specific info on how it works in Ft. Lauderdale, you should ask their forum separately.

For those looking to live in Miami, I think the issue is if you have a significant other already or not. If you already are WITH someone who is of a different ethnicity/skin tone than you, I don't think you should worry about moving locally, or that you're going to get a ton of stares or nasty comments. However, if you're looking to MOVE to Miami as a single person who wants to do a lot of interracial dating (say you're a WASPy guy with some idea that you can date a ton of Latinas here, or an Eastern European Jewish girl who wants to date white Catholic Cubans, or you're Thai and have a thing for Haitians...) it's possible, but I wouldn't bet on it. The chances that a lot of people are going to be open to your suggestion that you date them are slimmer in Miami than they are in some other cities, because people identify very heavily with their culture and financial status here - Miami is not like one big melting pot at all, where everybody's culture kind of blends together into one homogeneous thing. In some cities, young people are open to dating almost anyone they find attractive, whether they meet them at the club, at work, at school, or at the gym. They share more in common than they have cultural difference. That is not the case in Miami - your family's ethnicity and financial status tend to define you a lot. There ARE people who date interracially, and I know a number of them. But, they are most definitely in the minority in Miami. I think to say any differently is just dishonest.

As an example, when I go out in NYC some 60% of the young people I know are in interracial/interethnic couples. In Miami, it is maybe 5% of the young people I know. Go out to the clubs or to restaurants or to the beach or the mall and see for yourself - do the families usually all look the same, or are they varied in apparent ethnicity? In NYC, probably 90% of the young people have very diverse friend circles, and when you see people in their 20s hanging out together in groups, they are almost always a mixed crowd. In Miami, the majority of people hang out with people who look like them even for friend circles - which no surprise, is also a good predictor of how they will date, because often you meet people to date among or through your friends. I have very pale skin, and a lot of my friends have darker skin, and when we are hanging out even just as friends in Miami we get occasional odd looks, and we are always the only ones in the restaurant or wherever that are hanging out in mixed company. It's hard to quantify, but people hanging out regularly in public in Miami with people who are from a different ethnicity is more like 20% or less. It's unusual enough that when I see it, it catches my eye and makes me look, which I think is sometimes why people stare a bit when I am out with my friends too. They may not be against it at all, but they're surprised to see it.

This is not surprising. Miami neighborhoods are by and large extremely segregated, as are work environments. There is a major economic disparity between people of very light skin and people of very dark skin. When you know the people who run lucrative local businesses and aspects of the Miami government, you see that this is by design, not simply an accident. The better-paying companies tend to avoid hiring people with very dark skin. The people I know who have darker skin always get paid less, and are passed over for promotions a lot more, than people with light skin who work in the same company, even though they work harder and are often smarter. There is still racism when it comes to housing, which prevents some people of color from getting a mortgage, or from renting in certain neighborhoods or from certain individuals. Consequently, there tends to be a lot of distrust among people of darker skin for people of lighter skin in Miami. So if you don't live in the same neighborhood, don't work in the same place, don't earn the same money, don't have the same opportunities, and don't have trust for each other, is it any wonder you rarely end up dating each other?

I don't understand people who deny the pervasive racism in Miami. It is really obvious, and more openly stated by residents and local people in power than I am used to hearing in other places. And yes, racism exists everywhere. But it is more openly flaunted in Miami than many other places in the US, and if you have lived in other places for any length of time, you can see the differences. On the other hand, Miami is still a city, and it's not as bad as being in say rural South Carolina or the Arkansas mountains. But just because it's not the most racist place in the country, is no reason to brag. It's still more racist than a lot of big cities, and there is still more segregation and mistrust between different ethnicities than one will find in a lot of other locations in the US.

Certain neighborhoods are slightly more integrated, more progressive, and will be slightly more open to mixing than others. So you're slightly more likely to see interracial couples, though still not VERY likely, in South Beach, Wynwood, or Coconut Grove, where there are more young and trendy populations who are from or have exposure to more liberal places in the world. This will also tend to be true if you hang around artists, musicians, or on college campuses. But just in general suburban Miami? Not common at all.