I'm mixed – Black and white – with naturally big, curly hair. I was dating a white guy who made repeated comments about my hair and other comments where he seemed uncomfortable with me being black. His family is entirely white, and I think introducing me into his world triggered worries about how he'd be judged. He cared deeply about others' opinions.
While he respected me and we shared a real connection, my race was clearly something he struggled with. For me, race has never been a deciding factor – aligned values, attraction and how someone makes me feel matter most.
The experience left me questioning whether ethnicity can truly be a dealbreaker, even when connection is present.
A part of me thinks would adopting certain american beauty standards influence dating experience.