Top 10 Intercultural Love Stories in Movies

It’s not that common to see a pairing of an African American man and an Indian woman on-screen, but that’s exactly what we get in this underrated romantic drama. The film tells the story of Mina, a young Indian woman who relocates from Uganda to the United States. In Mississippi she meets Demetrius, played by Denzel Washington, and the two fall in love despite the disapproval of their two families. What’s fascinating about this movie is the fact that it’s an intimate portrait of two marginalized groups that inflict that same racism they’ve experienced onto the couple. However, the lovebirds are able to overcome the prejudice and drama and choose each other, which makes them a stronger couple.

Based on the life of actor Chazz Palminteri and adapted from his stage play of the same name, the movie introduces the audience to Calogero, a young Italian-American man, who falls in love with Jane, an African-American girl. Set in 1960s Brooklyn, the story is one in which race plays a huge factor in keeping this couple apart - despite their natural attraction to each other. Their respective friends and family try to keep them away from each other, especially after Calogero is accused of beating up Jane’s brother. Calogero and Jane are a great example of first love, and especially since the couple experiences hardships that move them from childhood to adulthood.

As a classic Spike Lee joint, this film was a pretty bold statement when it was released. Unlike most of the couples on our list, Flipper and Angie’s relationship was a passionate affair; Flipper was married to a black woman when he started romancing Angie, a younger Italian-American woman who starts temping at his office. From the start, their relationship is hot and based on sexual attraction, but it’s also doomed from the get-go. Over the course of the movie, they deal with a range of adversities, ranging from racism to addiction and rental discrimination, in addition to the disapproval of their families.

In this comedy-drama, the love of soccer brings together Jesminder, a young British woman of Indian descent, and Joe, an English Caucasian bloke. Jesminder’s overprotective parents forbid the football-obsessed teen from playing the sport, since they deem it inappropriate. But Jesminder is headstrong and joins the team that Joe coaches, after which they ultimately fall in love. As a couple, they’re strong-willed, but it’s their love of soccer that really brings them together, showing that a common bond is a strong foundation for a relationship. The twosome is also so relatable and cute together that it’s hard not to root for them.

This ‘90s teen power couple feels like people you might know in real life, making them one of the most relatable on our list. They start off as rivals of sorts, but they come together after he promises to teach her how to dance hip-hop, so that she’ll fit in better at her predominantly black school. Dance lessons lead to more, and it’s a pleasure to watch this couple fight for their relationship despite the haters trying to keep them apart. Derek and Sara are great together because they push each other to strive for their dreams, even if those dreams seemed far out of reach.

There are so many things about this couple that shouldn’t work on paper, but somehow they’re able to overcome their differences to fall in love on screen. At the start of the film, Hank undeniably has his prejudices, but he’s still drawn to Leticia and their similar experiences grieving loved ones. As their relationship deepens, their attraction to each other amplifies and culminates in a charged encounter where Leticia asks Hank to “make me feel good.” Together, they’re sensual, flawed, and feel very human – the latter being a quality that’s not always found in Hollywood romances. Halle Berry went on to win the Best Actress Oscar for her raw portrayal of Leticia.

Talk about relationship goals! Ian and Toula are one of the most well-known romantic comedy pairings due to their wacky love story. Throughout the film, they have to endure Toula’s overbearing Greek family - who are skeptical of her marrying Ian, a non-Greek WASP. Despite the meddling from her father, Toula and Ian are able to make it work. They’re two people that complement one another, and their chemistry is off-the-charts. Audiences found their story relatable and the small indie flick was a sleeper hit, going on to become the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time, even though it never topped the box office.

Sure, this Disney flick may not be the most historically accurate, but it did do a good job of bringing attention to these real-life historical figures. Pocahontas, a Native American, defied the conventions of the day when she fell in love with John Smith, an Englishman on a mission to find wealth in the New World. The story only scratches the surface of the horrors of colonialism, but it does make a compelling case for love being about sacrifice and trust as two key components of Pocahontas and John’s relationship. In the film, their love overcame life and death circumstances, which is something not many couples are able to brag about.

Perhaps one of the most tragic couples in pop culture, Tony and Maria are the 20th century version of Romeo and Juliet. They literally come from warring gangs, with Maria being from the Puerto Rican Sharks and Tony being aligned with the Caucasian American Jets. But like Romeo and Juliet before them, their love was fated when Tony first laid eyes on Maria at the local dance. From there, their relationship progresses at lightning pace with them symbolically marrying each other before Tony’s ultimate downfall. Their hope and love for each other are perfectly captured in their duets “Tonight” and “Somewhere,” which are two of the film’s most iconic songs.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Brian Kelly & Kenya Denise McQueen
“Something New” (2006)

Max Cherry & Jackie Brown
“Jackie Brown” (1997)

Christopher Marshall & Marisa Ventura
“Maid in Manhattan” (2002)

Controversial from its inception, this film was produced at a time when interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 US states. Caucasian and upper-class Joanna brings home John, a widowed black man, which makes her liberal parents question their prejudices and their beliefs on race. It’s hard to find faults with John however, since he’s a doctor who has done work in Africa and has refused to have sex with Joanna before they are married. This means that her parents’ only true objection to him is his race. Sidney Poitier’s character broke stereotypes, and the loving relationship he has with Joanna pushed audiences to examine their own views. The film also inspired a more comedic update in 2005 with “Guess Who”, which reverses the roles and sees a black woman bringing a white man home to her parents.

Do you agree with our list? Which big screen interracial couple do you love? For more inspiring Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.