"Harvard allows for [interracial dating]," saysKleinberg who--in her first interracialrelationship--is dating a Chinese-Americanstudent. "All of sudden you are with people ofdifferent races with a wider scope to date from."

White Backgrounds

Many of the students who have been involved ininterracial relationships at Harvard say they comefrom predominantly white high schools. Afterarriving at Harvard, they encountered a diversecultural environment that facilitates interracialdating, though it does not necessarily encourageit.

Kleinberg, for one, says her hometown ofWellesley, Mass., was not culturally diverse andinterracial dating was uncommon. And Gubbins, whocame from an all-boys school, says the opportunityto date outside his ethnic group didn't oftenarise.

"I never thought about race in terms ofdating--I will or will not date this or thatgroup," Gubbins says. "Someone actually wageredwith me in high school that I wouldn't date aBlack or Asian girl."

Gubbins says one of his long term relationshipsat Harvard was with a Japanese American student.

But Gubbins says he also dates women within hisown race.

"It is random," he says. "I have datedCaucasians. It's not that I am drawn to one groupor people that are not white."

But while it offers opportunities, Snodgrasssays Harvard's multiracial environment can fostersegregation that lessens the chances forinterracial dating. Many Black students forexample says they choose to live in the Quadbecause they feel more comfortable there.

"Although Harvard is a very diverse communityand promotes awareness of racial issues it canlead to segregation of different groups that doesnot encourage interracial dating," she says.

Snodgrass and Nguyen say they think ethnicgroups on campus tend "to splinter people" anddiscourage interracial dating, though Gubbinscautions that opinions within groups vary.

"It works on a very individuals level," Gubbinssays. "It is important to remember that there is awide variety of opinions in differentcommunities."

Family Pressure

Most students say the greatest sanctionsagainst interracial dating come from families, notpeers.

Although Snodgrass says her own family hasnever criticized her relationship, she does thinkthat families can be "a huge problem" whereinterracial dating is concerned.