Why is being attracted to one race often called fetishization? NSFW

Because it's about superficial aspects that have little to do with the actual person inside - something that may satisfy the animal instincts within you, but contributes little in the way of ensuring long-term relationship compatibility. There are likely people who don't fit the physical profile you're looking for that are being needlessly excluded as potential lifetime partners due to that fact, even though they might be better suited for you in the long haul.

If you're attracted to one race above others, it demonstrates that you consider that race notably different from others, and you're attracted to the things that make them different from you/your own race specifically. You might consider your own attraction a positive thing for members of that race, and you may be respectful in pursuing partners, but the fact that you've latched onto race as an element of your attraction is a classic form of exoticism. If you more deeply inspect why you feel that way, you'll find assumptions or considerations about that race that are either cultural generalizations ("I like that they are X way or that they value Y") or that they are objectifying ("I just think X type of woman is more attractive"). Both are problematic to have so central to how someone thinks about a race of people or an individual partner.

Exoticizing is a form of fetishizing, which doesn't have to be sexual, and is frequently seen in how other cultures are so often portrayed as more mysterious or intriguing in classical art or movies. The emphasis placed on how "other" someone is, in both cases, is a fetishization.

Because that’s what a fetish is. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. You wanna try something different, it’s fine. Maybe you like the person, get to know them, something comes of it, you both learn and maybe your families do too. It can be a good thing.

The problem is when race fetishes objectify a person as a member of the race and not as an individual worthy of respect. You can take it there though, but some people think if it doesn’t start there, it can’t get there, and I don’t necessarily agree with that.

I once met a guy who fell for his girl because of yellow fever. That’s what we called it back in the day. That’s what he called it. Fell for a Japanese girl. Thought it would be so exotic. Turns out it was and he wasn’t ready for all the differences. But my guy was in it for the long haul. They were married 40 years when I met him. He took the bad with the good. I doubt either of them are still alive. I never met her. But him, I worked with 25 years ago. Wouldn’t mind telling him what he was right about, stupid shit we argued about to pass the time.

And if we're only attracted to "our own kind," one might consider it racism 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️