Ken is Irish and Mee is Korean-American. They met when Ken flew from Ireland to the United States for a friend's wedding, and the two quickly hit it off and began a long distance relationship.For a couple of years they flew back and forth between New York and Dublin to spend time together. The turning point in their relationship was September 11; as he watched the Twin … [Read more...]
Episode 21: Kevin and Lisa
Lisa is white, and grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania. Kevin is Korean and was raised in Western Pennsylvania by his adopted parents, who are white. They met in Philadelphia, got married in 2009, and now live in New Jersey with their two young daughters.In this episode of the Loving Project, Lisa and Kevin discuss their unique family, the incorrect assumptions people make … [Read more...]
Episode 19: Shawn and Jen
Jen and Shawn met in 2004 under sad circumstances when they lost a mutual friend. Eleven years later, they got married and now live in Lansdowne, PA with their 2-year-old son. Shawn is African American, and grew up in South Philadelphia while Jen is white, and spent her early years in Central Pennsylvania before her family moved to suburban Philadelphia.In this episode of … [Read more...]
Episode 18: Kate and Courtney
Kate and Courtney met while they were both students at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Courtney is black, and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. Kate is white, and grew up in Buffalo, New York. They've lived in Baltimore and Washington DC, and now make their home together in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood.They've been together since 1999, and married in 2014 after … [Read more...]
Episode 16: Lesley and Cord
Lesley and Cord met while Lesley was working at Duke University and Cord was a graduate student at the school. In their very first conversation, Lesley impressed Cord with her critique of his favorite medieval author, St. Augustine, even though they had very different impressions of him. Despite their differences, the two became friends, and eventually began dating while both … [Read more...]
Episode 14: Mike and Kim
Mike and Kim met while working in a research lab at the University of Pennsylvania. At the time, Mike was a senior, while Kim had recently finished her PhD and was working as a postdoctoral researcher while raising her 10-year-old son.They bonded over music and eventually got married in 2015, about a decade after they first met.Mike is the son of Taiwanese immigrants, who … [Read more...]
Episode 11: Michelle and Melissa
Michelle and Melissa met in college and were together for 12 years before getting married in 2017. Although they are both Philadelphia natives, they hail from very different parts of the city.Melissa, who is white, grew up in Bridesburg, a neighborhood with a reputation for racism, while Michelle, who is Black, hails from Mount Airy, an area well known for diversity and … [Read more...]
Episode 9: Aarati and Jonathan
Aarati and Jonathan got married in 2006. Jonathan is White and Jewish and Aarati is Indian-American. They met in Chicago, where Aarati was pursuing her PhD and Jonathan was working as a journalist. They later moved to Washington DC, and then Philadelphia.Born and raised in New Hampshire, Jonathan was unfamiliar with the daily realities of racism in the United States before … [Read more...]
Episode 8: Anastasia and Symeon
Anastasia and Symeon met online while they were working at the same university. They got married in 2011 and live in Philadelphia with their two young sons. Symeon's family is from Philadelphia, but he grew up in rural New York state, while Anastasia grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.In the episode, they discuss the things they have in common, such as a love of travel, close … [Read more...]
Episode 6: Beth and Helaina
Beth and Helaina are an interracial couple living in Philadelphia's Mount Airy neighborhood. They got married in a wedding ceremony in Philadelphia in 2007, before gay marriage became legal nationwide. They later had a legal ceremony in California while Helaina was carrying their first child. The couple now has four children, all biracial.In this episode of the Loving … [Read more...]
Episode 5: Shaina and Brahim
Shaina is a white Jewish woman from Texas. Brahim is a black, Muslim, Berber, Arab man from Morocco.They met while Shaina was volunteering for an organization Brahim started in a small village in Morocco. It was clear to them both very early in their relationship that they wanted to be together long term so after Shaina returned to the United States, they began the … [Read more...]
Episode 4: Courtney and Dave
Dave and Courtney met while working together at a photography company in Philadelphia. They married in 2010 and now live in West Philadelphia with their 18-month old son.Courtney is African American and Dave is White. While the experience of being part of an interracial couple plays out differently for each of them, they are both equally anxious about what it means to raise … [Read more...]
Episode 1: Liz and Chavis
Chavis and Liz have been married since 2003. They have a 12 year-old son, and the family lives just outside of Philadelphia.Liz is white and Chavis is African-American. However, his skin coloring and hair texture often lead others to classify him as White or as some race/ethnicity other than African-American, giving Chavis an unusual insight into race relations in modern … [Read more...]