Significant Others: Girlfriends & Boyfriends / Question
Published: June 26, 2007
Dear TeenHealthFX,
My boyfriend and I are of different races. He is Mexican and I am Indian. My family does not approve of our relationship. Is it worth it for me to struggle to be with him? We have been together a little over a year, and I even lost my virginity to him. He tells me he loves me, and I think I love him. But I'm not sure. Sometimes I feel like something is missing in our relationship. Could it be the fact that I know my family doesn’t approve? Could it be I really don’t love him? Could it be a combination of both? Where do I go with this relationship?
Signed: Interacial Dating Is Confusing
Dear Interacial Dating Is Confusing,
TeenHealthFX understands that this is tough and confusing situation for you, but unfortunately we cannot make the decision for you about whether the struggle is worth it or not – that is a choice only you can know and that only you can make. The fact that your family does not approve would be an understandably difficult thing for you to deal with and may be interfering with your feelings for you boyfriend – especially if you care about them and respect their opinions, or if they really go out of their way to make things hard for you as long as you continue the relationship. And it is certainly possible that their approval and acceptance may be the thing missing in the relationship.
FX suggests you think about the following two questions as you try to decide what you want to do here:
- If you woke up tomorrow morning to find that you family liked and accepted your boyfriend, would it feel like anything was lacking in the relationship or would you feel at peace with how things are between the two of you?
- Do the good feelings that you have due to your dating relationship outweigh the negative feelings that come up for you about your family’s disapproval?
If you find that you continue to struggle with this, FX suggests that you speak to a trusted adult about your concerns – such as a teacher or school counselor – to help you to sort out how you are feeling and what you want to do here as this can be a very confusing and difficult situation to deal with.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
One in four teenage girls in the 
