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An eye for a new tradition

ADRIANA BARTON

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 1:48 PM EDT 22/11/07

The increase in mixed marriages in Canada has spurred the growth of a new specialty: the inter-ethnic wedding photographer ...Read the full article

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  1. nigel martin from Canada writes: Surely, in Canada, the term 'mixed ' marriages is a hang-over from the past when it had mainly religious connotations. Today, two Canadians marry each other; what is the 'mix'? Man-woman? Tall man with shorter man? Bilingual with unilingual? Harperite with Dionist? Each marriage has (legally anyway) two spouses; two humans coming together in love.
  2. Joel Matthews from Carbonear, NL, Canada writes: I agree with the article. As more couples choose mixed marriage the more sensitive a photographer, like myself, has to be. Considering more than the technical options is a priority when considering the traditions and feelings that a couple goes through on their wedding day is highly important. Even though I'm from a small town with strong orthodox views on marriage I still see an growing number of clients whose faiths and backgrounds come from clearly different walks of life.
  3. RD Lone from Vancouver, Canada writes: The mix is with races. I disagree that it is a 'hang-over from the past with religious connotations.' It's not an issue of being racist (though it used to be), just that the vast majority of couples are same-race. Thus anything different is noticed.
  4. Paul Martin from victoria, Canada writes: Ha! If you really want your wedding pictures to be noticed, then have one man marry five women at the same time. Certain religions allow men to have multiple wives. Of course, it would not be political correct here to name those particular religions.

    As of yet, I have not run across any religions that allow men to marry their daughters. That would make interesting wedding pictures.

    Or even if brother and sister marry each other. There would be a strong family resemblance in those pictures. Perhaps the right photographer can deal with that accordingly. Better still, I wonder how the photographer in question could deal with two twin bothers who get married to get other.

    Of course, there are always the gay marriage pictures. For the hundred years or so, gay marriages are different, and will be noticed. Then again, if two humans are coming together in love, then who else cares if they are related, or gay?
  5. Sylvester McMonkey McBean from Ottawa, Canada writes: ...or if a crusty old traditionalist who couldn't come to terms with new ideas married a...oh, that's right - no-one really marries a knob like that unless their options are pretty limited.
  6. Jack Hsu from Toronto, writes: nigel martin: You might want to overlook or deny that race distinctions are very much reality in today's Canadian society, but it doesn't change the fact that they exist. Saying everyone race is the same is a racist remark because you deny the existence of racial inequalities.

    When I look around, I see white people, I see black people, Asians, etc. This doesn't make me racist. It's only racist when you start making assumptions about people based on their race. Stopping racism does not mean we should all become colorblind.
  7. Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes: 'Caucasian' is a racial slur. I take great offense to that.

    I'm British/Scottish/French.
  8. Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes: & yes, the use of skin color in conversation is racism. That is the definition of racism - catagorizing people based on skin colour.
  9. Bill Needle from Canada writes: Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes: That is the definition of racism - catagorizing people based on skin colour.

    Wrong! Racism is discrimination arising from a belief that members of one race are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other races.
  10. Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes: Incorrect, Bill. Having a family that comes from the very place in the British Empire where slavery ended some 20 odd years before the rest, I do believe I have the right to define it as I see fit.

    Racism = the use of skin colour to catagorize.

    The end.
  11. Bill Needle from Canada writes: Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes:
    I'm British/Scottish/French.

    You may well be but those are nationalities not races.

    Go and get an education dummy.
  12. Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes: You're right, Bill, they're based on geo-political boundaries.

    You know, that silly thing called a nation state.
  13. Upper Canadian born and raised in Western Canada from Canada writes: Insult duely noted. =)
  14. Cynthia C from Toronto, Canada writes: RD Lone, my boyfriend is white and I'm Asian. In most larger cities, no one bothers to stare at us. In Toronto, I don't think we're really all that special. South Asian and Chinese, now that's 'different.'
  15. Mary T from Toronto, Canada writes: Are you kidding, Cynthia? In Toronto, Asian woman/Caucasian man is far and way the most common coupling. I rarely see anything else.
  16. Cynthia C from Toronto, Canada writes: Mary T, if you read correctly, that's exactly what I said. My boyfriend and I aren't all that special. There are people like us everywhere. However, it would be special if my boyfriend was say, South Asian.
  17. Lee Turner from Regent Park, Canada writes: Eh, wrong, Cynthia and Mary, the most common couplings are those who marry the same race, this is still far and above the "norm". Unless you mean inter- racial couples, then yeah I have to agree (wife is Japanese, I'm white).

    Anyway, having just gone through my own inter-racial marriage about a year ago, save the money, get family and friends to take the photos. My wife and I have great pictures from a variety of friends and family, and we have no complaints.
  18. Mr. Justice from Canada writes: Henny Youngman: . . . "My wife and I were happy for over 20 years. Then, we met."
  19. devil is in the detail from Canada writes: Cynthia C, by Asian, what do you mean?? Then you said South Asian.
    So Asian means North/East/West Asian? :)

    It's like someone said s/he is North American.
  20. Cynthia C from Toronto, Canada writes: Devil: In North America, plain Asian usually means East Asian (or more specifically Chinese, Korean and Japanese) and South Asian = India, Pakistan, etc.

    East Asian/white pairings (or more specifically, East Asian female/white male) are very common when it comes to interracial couples. At least in Canada.
  21. devil is in the detail from Canada writes: I agree Cynthia. That's pretty visible here, at least in cities.
    What's interesting, is that I've hardly seen the reverse (white female and East Asian male). Or South Asian and East Asian for that matter.
  22. M K from Canada writes: "When I look around, I see white people, I see black people, Asians, etc. This doesn't make me racist. "

    Correct, it does not make you racist, just ignorant. Race is the crude stone axe of sociology, used by people whose brains cannot comprehend the more complex concept of ethnicity. What is "skin colour" anyway? Aren't there near-infniite shades of skin colour? Is a porcelain white from Poland a different "race" than a slightly tanned white in Spain?

    Even ethnicity is a socially constructed. What is an ethnic group besides a self-definition of cultural variables?
  23. Zach A from Delhi, India writes: Race is a social construction. The majority of black americans have at least one white great grand parent. Where do you draw the line?

    What we are discussing here are inter-ethnic couples. Ethnic differences are not based in biology. Ethnic groups identify as having some shared history and culture. The antiquated race concept tries to categorize humans as being as different as cats and dogs. Reality is much less black and white.
  24. Mary T from Toronto, Canada writes: Devil is in the Detail: My East Asian male colleague (who is currently single) likes to sum up that (very commonly noted) phenomenon as follows: That's because the white women are dating black guys and we're all working!
  25. Cynthia C from Toronto, Canada writes: There aren't too many South Asian/East Asian pairings because many South Asian cultures are very traditional and still have arranged or semi-arranged marriages. Even if they don't, they're very much strongly encouraged to marry their own kind. East Asians in Canada date and tend to have more open-minded/liberal parents.
  26. Jack Hsu from Toronto, writes: M K from Canada: Correct, it does not make you racist, just ignorant.

    Since when have I said the race and ethnicity are the same thing? All I'm pointing out that saying something is a member of a certain race is not in itself racist. Most people don't grasp the concept of race and ethnicity, but I am not one of them.
  27. whatevah D from Canada writes: devil is in the detail from Canada writes: I agree Cynthia. That's pretty visible here, at least in cities.
    What's interesting, is that I've hardly seen the reverse (white female and East Asian male).

    Really? I've seen the white female/East Asian male couplings.
  28. John L. Murlowe from Colony of Vancouver Island, Canada writes:
    If an Oriental person goes into a McDonalds restaurant in Alberta and sees all the people there, does he think, "Hey, this must be a great place for white food" ?
  29. devil is in the detail from Canada writes: Mary T writes: .....That's because the white women are dating black guys and we're all working!

    On that note, I don't see that many Asian women dating black guys. This is puzzling. Perhaps love is anything but blind afterall.
  30. varun xm from toronto, Canada writes: Appearances on intercultural dating can be deceptive. Though the study profiled in the link below is American, some of the results are likely to apply in Canadian context as well. http://www.ultrabrown.com/posts/like-a-horse-and-carriage
  31. the human mind from Canada writes: Varun, the info is really an eye opener! However:

    "The group least willing to date out of its race, and the pickiest group in general, is white women": really? A poster said white women are busy dating black guys!

    "The highest affinity is by black women for black men - it's off the charts.....": that could be a reason (based on competition) for white women to date black guys...?

    the human mind is pretty intriguing...
  32. Fundamentalist Of Sorts... from Toronto, Canada writes: Well it's easy to answer some questions posted on this board: 1. White women will not date East Asian men (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) because of the stereotype of them having microscopic penises. Those who do are usually desperate or find the one in a billion East Asian men who can actually classify it as a penis. 2. East Asian men are more into making money and paying for rub and tugs and/or escorts. They really don't care because they're usually rich through business or old family money. 3. Black women want rich white guys to take them away from "the struggle" and don't want a black man to impregnate them and leave the next day. 4. South Asian men usually whore around till their parents make them marry their own kind. 5. South Asian women usually whore around till their parents make them marry their own kind. 6. Black men will date/marry/cheat with anything that has a hole. 7. White men are more inclined to be wooed by East Asian women because of their stereotype of having tighter vaginas than other races. I guess the whole exotic look thing plays a role here but if you ask me I think most East Asian women look like most East Asian men. Any more questions?? Regards...
  33. Miss Lady from Canada writes: Makes sense to me to have a photographer who recognises the differences. I can recall photo IDs where I could have been anyone with dark skin - all you see is the eyes. I usually avoid being in photos where everyone else is white. That's not racism, it's vanity - not wanting to look like a mostly feature-less blob.
    The thing about the Muslim woman was a sweet touch to the story.
  34. the human mind from Canada writes: LOL!! Fundamentalist Of Sorts, that's so funny.
    To be politically correct, we cover all that up with the word 'LOVE'!

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