My first experience encountering any sort of racism or discrimination happened more than a decade ago. As a white woman, I have seen very little prejudice based on my race. But I remember this encounter well: As I was walking into a restaurant with my boyfriend at the time, I heard a little girl’s voice behind us ask her father, “Daddy, why is she holding hands with a black man?” I heard some sort of grumbling of an answer back, but was too stunned to fully comprehend what he said exactly. I was still shocked that a girl, all of four years old, could have asked such a question. The irony of this situation is that the man I was dating was born in El Salvador and had been living in the United States since he was a teenager. There were few times in which we encountered anything more than passing glances, but being in a relationship in which two people are of different cultures and/or races can pique many people’s curiosity whether they mean to stare or not.

Ultimately, if you’re into a relationship with someone of a different race or culture, you can face many points of opposition, whether it is from family, friends or society as a whole. Or you can find yourself surprised by the warmth and respect that each of you experience by the people in your life.