"There's a guy I like who wants to go out with me, but Idon't know if I should because he's black," confided a friendrecently.

I come from a multiracial background (I am AmericanIndian, Asian, black and white) and understand her dilemma. I feel badlythat her family shuns people of another race.

According to onesource, the number of interracial couples in the United States is 1.6million. Golfer Tiger Woods is a product of an interracial relationship;his father is black, his mother Asian. When he fills out the Census thisyear, he'll circle white, black, Native American and Asian. Tiger callshimself "Cablinasian."

"I don't think [race] makesa difference," said one senior who is dating an African-American."It's the first time I'm dating someone who isn't Spanish, but itdoesn't matter to me." Although some students see things her way,there are many who have prejudices against other races and are criticalof interracial dating.

According to one poll, interracial datingis more common in the suburbs and cities (64 percent) than inpredominately white, rural areas (40 percent). It is a trend even Disneyhas noticed. Consider the animated "Pocahontas" and theirremake of the story of Cinderella. The black pop singer, Brandy, playsCinderella and a Philippine-born newcomer is her PrinceCharming.

There are many family feuds because of interracialrelationships. Stereotypes stop people from realizing that good and badqualities are not determined by race.

The Census will bedifferent this year because instead of being forced to choose only onecategory of race - Asian, black, white, American Indian/Alaska Native

or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - people of multiracialdescent will be able to check all that apply. This is the first majorchange in the Census in 20 years, and is long overdue.

I amhopeful that in the coming years, mixed couples won't have as manyproblems as they do now. Perhaps with this Census change, and morepeople like Woods in the limelight, interracial relationships will bemore widely accepted.