Leon Watson and Rosina Rodriquez were one of the country’s oldest interracial marriages. They went on their first date in 1949 and did something that today seems unthinkable.
Rodriquez was attractive by most people’s standards. She had pale complexion and lived up in Mexico, but when she walked alongside her black lover, Watson, people saw something was amiss.
Most individuals thought it was strange to see a white female dating a black guy back then. When the pair was out in public, they saw that others were gazing at them, but it didn’t shake their faith or cause them to split up.
Watson grew up in Mississippi before joining the United States Marine Corps years later. He worked for humanitarian issues in addition to being a scoutmaster.
Watson anticipated that when he started dating Rodriquez, individuals would raise their eyebrows and make things difficult for them. On their first date, the pair went to see a movie, but stepping through the entryway together made them feel awkward.
To avoid embarrassment on their first date, Rodriquez entered the theater first and took her seat, followed by Watson a few minutes later, so no one knew they were dating. The pair avoided traveling to areas where they feared individuals may make them feel uneasy in the future.
They generally went out with pals who were involved in social activism. Aside from campaigning for human rights, the couple’s friends frequently threw dance parties where Watson and Rodriquez could strengthen their friendship.
Rodriquez felt her then-boyfriend was a great dancer, but that wasn’t the only factor she said yes when he got down on his knees in front of her. It didn’t take long for the pair to determine they desired to spend the rest of their lives together.
When Rodriquez’s dad in New Mexico learned about Watson, he was furious. He went to his daughter’s city and attempted to persuade her that marrying Watson was not a smart idea.
Rather than taking her dad’s counsel, Rodriquez stated that she would not change her mind. She had watched another interracial couple live happily ever after and hoped Watson would do the same for her for the rest of her life.
The couple married in 1950 and celebrated with their friends and family in Oakland. Interracial marriages in California were only authorized a few months before their wedding.
However, just because they married did not prevent individuals from making them feel unpleasant. Their first unexpected experience came after they married and relocated to a new area.
Watson and Rodriquez resided in a little house and expected to live happily there, but fate had other plans. They witnessed several white families fleeing the area soon after moving into their new house.
Incidents like these made Rodriquez understand that if she wished to go on, she needed to keep her marriage a secret. As a result, she never revealed to her bosses or coworkers that she had married a black guy.
Despite having 3 kids, Rodriquez kept her marriage a secret. She didn’t tell a coworker about it until she was 45. Her house required a roof repair when she was working at a roofing firm, so she appealed to her boss for assistance.
As a consequence, her supervisor arrived to her house, and she thought things would worsen if he found out about her husband’s ethnicity. She couldn’t conceal the facts any longer.
None of her concerns were fulfilled, much to her astonishment. Her work was unaffected by the fact that her spouse was a black guy. Her employer did not terminate her, and none of her coworkers said anything.
Watson and Rodriquez did not want their kids to learn about racial prejudice. As a result, José, Jorge, and Lucia, their two boys and daughter, never explored racial distinctions.
When the kids were still in school, several of their classmates were perplexed as to how a fair-skinned lady could produce black children. When they asked José, Jorge, and Lucia about Rodriquez, the siblings replied, “What is your problem?”
Since there were pupils of many races at school, the siblings seldom suffered discrimination. Nevertheless, José said he was discriminated against by a cop while driving a vehicle. The police accused him of stealing the car, he said.
Years later, José put a license plate on his automobile that stated “1BLACKMEX,” expressing his pride in his heritage. Rodriquez was slightly concerned about her kid since she anticipated he might encounter further discrimination, but this did not occur.
Watson and Rodriquez were one of the country’s oldest interracial couples until April 13, 2020. Watson died with his family by his side, leaving behind Rodriquez, his daughters, nine grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
This couple’s unusual experience should serve as an encouragement to other young couples who are terrified of being judged by society. To marry an individual of a different race, all you need is tolerance, bravery, and commitment.
