What Is This Attraction to Difference?

Exploring the attraction between interracial and interethnic partners, we look at how it may be shaped by family of origin, prior relationships, friends and family, or other cultural icons and societal messages. In this chapter, we will also explore how societal discourse has influenced interracial, intercultural, and interreligious partners and families. The central theme of this chapter is to highlight differences as avenues of connection, rather than stressing similarity as the ideal model for loving relationships; this philosophy is integral to understanding interracial, intercultural, and interfaith attraction.