All families want the various milestones in their children’s lives to end on a happy note. So it was with tremendous joy that our family recently celebrated the beginning of our daughter’s “happily ever after.” The occasion was indeed a fairy tale come true, because after kissing a succession of “frogs” she wound up with “prince charming.”

Deciding to wed seemed a foregone conclusion. He’d been at her side through three surgeries before they’d even dated a year. Family approval wasn’t even a factor. And why should it be?

Here where we live, there is such a commingling of cultures that no one raises an eyebrow about mixed marriages. Elsewhere in the country, racial diversity is still not the norm. Cosmopolitan, urban centers are the exception. So, too, are college towns, where interracial relations thrive because students are learning and living together.

Fanning the flames of racial discord these days, the presidential campaign raised the bar on interracial marriages. With right wing extremists who supported Trump’s campaign, they are comfortable stepping out from the shadows to reveal their true identities.

Hawaii is a melting pot of nationalities. My husband’s large, extended family includes a hodgepodge of nationalities —Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Samoan, Irish, Scottish, Russian, English and perhaps others of which I am unaware.

Our son-in-law, a blonde, blue-eyed Texan will easily fit into the melting pot that is our “ohana,” (Hawaiian for “family.”)

By contrast, introducing a Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese gal into his family was a question mark. He admitted that his extended family might not welcome our daughter into their midst. Since they’re no longer in touch, she may never learn the truth. Thankfully, his immediate family is thrilled to have her.

The newlyweds live in a vibrant town alive with lots to see and do, owing in great part to an internationally acclaimed university.

Venturing outward into less diverse communities means our daughter and her husband will have to make conscious decisions as to where they raise their children. Dark-skinned children will raise eyebrows as to their ethnicity. Prejudice tends to lash out before discerning the facts.

Sad that racial prejudice is rearing its ugly head once again. It’s not that it ever truly disappeared, but those so inclined were silenced by a more tolerant majority. These days, it seems, it’s no holds barred.

Trump may have been caught up in a tsunami of words during his campaign, but what will he do about racism now that he’s victorious? The answer may lie with those he surrounds himself with, now and during his presidency.

Unfortunately, racism exists everywhere. Allowing it free rein, however, will undermine whatever strides have been made thus far.

Change is inevitable. Seniors, myself included, are well aware of that fact.

Moving beyond our comfort zones is the ultimate challenge. Wouldn’t it be like a breath of fresh air wafting across our country if our grandchildren were to experience an America free of racial prejudice?

I remain hopeful for that day.

Millie Vierra lives in Issaquah.