CHILDREN OF CONFLICT: A Study of Interracial Sex and Marriage

by Fernando Henriques ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1974

This is a book about the mixing of races. The path that leads from the sociology of miscegenation to the sociology of exploitation is neither circuitous nor long. Even the most cursory examination of these issues will introduce the reader to one of the most opprobrious chapters of modern history: the economic abuse and the sexual humiliation of non-Europeans by the Europeans. Fernando Henriques embarks upon a comparative and historical study of miscegenation on a scale less than global. He focuses mostly on the U.S., Britain, the Caribbean, and Africa. His goal is nonetheless ambitious: to destroy the myths that have clouded the understanding of inter-ethnic relations, such as the notion of physical repugnance on the part of Europeans when faced by totally dissimilar peoples, or the familiar story that the European male only turned to ""native"" women when deprived of his own. The central thesis is sound, if hardly new: that miscegenation cannot be understood outside the context of colonization. The latter, especially when associated with slavery, has been responsible for most of the suffering inflicted upon non-Whites. Henriques demonstrates that, among the colonizers, Anglo-Saxons have been the most consistent enemies of equality by systematically denying legitimate status to their unions with Africans and Asians. Other themes explored in this book include the fear of racial pollution and the role of white women in the context of slavery. The book ends with a not too illuminating section on interracial relations in the contemporary world. Though Henriques' purpose is laudable, the accomplishment leaves much to be desired. The text is fragmentary and fails to link the problems of miscegenation to the specifics of social structure and to the larger historical forces at work.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION