Here are some opinions: black women are aggressive. White men cannot dance.

Here is a fact: skin color is genetic.

For me, I simply look at the facts about myself and I never tend to focus on the stereotypical opinions of others. When it comes to interracial relationships, these opinions are bound to come up in most conversations. But I never really thought my relationship was different until someone told me.

My boyfriend (who yes, is white) and I have been dating for over a year and we come from different parts of Pennsylvania. I am from the city, where I encounter different people every day. Meanwhile, he grew up near Central PA.

Typically that doesn’t make quite a difference once you’re in college because you encounter people from all over the world. So, the conversation about our different backgrounds never really came into question until others began to point out things.

Little incidents first started to happen to me when we began to encounter others. I never fail to hear “Oh she is so pretty for a black girl,” “Does she know how to cook?” “Wow, I love your hair! Can I touch it?” I never had to think about being black or that it was an exception that I could be pretty. These offensive assumptions began to stand out to me, and no, they were not compliments.

Talking to my boyfriend about these things leaves him uncomfortable as well because he never had to consider these issues. There are even the relatives that make silly race jokes about your relationship.

You barely reflect on it until someone else makes a similar joke. “Oh, I can always tell what kind of guys girls are into,” a friend once said. As if I had a certain preference for what kind of race I want to date.

Automatically, once you address to people that you’re in an interracial relationship they assume you have a preference or fetish of some kind. I don’t consider myself a part of the modern trend where everyone has a preference in race or ethnicity. “You guys look so cute together,” or “You’re my favorite couple!” These frequent sayings make most situations uncomfortable.

I grew up in a diverse community, but others did not have that experience. For example, there are people who like to stare at my boyfriend and me when we're out in public because they don’t understand.

Interracial relationships reveal discomfort of others and the opinions of certain people have about race. In this moment, societal views on non-traditional relationships made me more self-aware. “I didn’t realize this was an interracial relationship…” someone once told me.

Most people do not notice or understand when they are continuing this conversation about race. It is essential to talk about it, it is essential to learn.

My boyfriend and I are entirely different people, but it works just like any other relationship. While all relationships are different, we remain positive and open-minded which allows us to always learn and grow.

So, learn more.