Recent studies show that Virginia leads the U.S. in interracial marriages, a trend that is mirrored by AHS couples, who not only differ in race, but also culture and ethnicity.

“I think [diversity at AHS] provides a greater opportunity for diversity in relationships,” junior Kurtis Neal said.

In fact, according to The Washington Post, Virginia has the highest rate of interracial couples in the nation, as one in five couples in the D.M.V. “crossed racial and ethnic lines.” This is a trend that AHS students embrace greatly.

“I thinks it’s nice that people don’t judge upon race,” junior Neal said.

A study conducted by the Pew Center states that the interracial marriage rate rose from three percent to eight percent in 1980, and that 15 percent of married couples in 2010 constituted interracial relationships.

Many believe that this rise in diversity allows students to see from a new cultural perspective.

“I feel that it gives students a better chance to experience different cultures,” sophomore Eric Lien said.

But this diversity of relationships seems to be a normal trend for students who are prone to diversity.

“I don’t think that the diversity of AHS affects relationships at all really. It all depends on what a person is looking for and the ‘diversity of AHS’ shouldn’t have anything to do with it,” junior Nora Kennedy said.

Leading the population in interracial marriages are Asians and Hispanics, as more than a quarter of Asians marry non-Asians. Meanwhile, the number of African Americans that marry outside of their races tripled to 17 percent.

Junior Aisha Yansaneh and senior Ryan Saimeron are one of AHS’s many diverse couples. Yansaneh is from Sierra Leone, while Saimeron is from El Salvador and Belize.

“We met in French class [and] we have been together for two years now,” Yansaneh said.

Both credit AHS’s diversity for their relationship.

“Going to AHS increases the chance that you’re going to be with someone from a different culture,” Yansaneh said.

Their parents accept the fact that they are dating a person of a different race.

“Our parents don’t care that we aren’t the same race,” Yansaneh said.

Diversity in relationships also allows students to experience different customs.

“I think that there should be more interracial couples in the world because it shows that people are open-minded about other cultures and do not limit themselves to just their own cultures when it comes to dating,” junior Sameera Ferdous said.

AHS students also have unique dating customs. While most American teens opt for a movie and dinner date, customs around the world differ.

For example, here in the U.S. where boys are expected to ask a girl out and foot the bill, in Australia, girls usually ask the boys out and pay for the date.

In Asian countries, including Japan, Korea and China, people don’t begin dating until college.

A growing factor of how parents permit dating depends on their generation. Many AHS students are first generation kids growing up in the U.S., while their parents follow, practice and enforce rules and beliefs from their home countries.

In South Asian countries, India specifically, dating has become more relaxed due to modern times. However, some still enforce traditional practices.

“Dating is not looked at very decently in Pakistan. [And while my parents] are more liberal, they still feel it is not very nice to go dating,” sophomore Elisha Musih said.

Many western countries follow the same dating customs and practices here in America, though some countries forbid dating altogether.

According to Iranian law, dating is illegal in the country. Teenage boys and girls are separated from one another until they are of the age to marry. The families then introduce them to one another, and marriage most likely follows suit. These strict regulations are due in part to the strong Islamic faith.

Religion plays a large role in dating in general.

“I’m not allowed to date in general because of my religion and culture,” sophomore Lailumah Faisal said.

As one walks through the hallways of AHS and witnesses the diversity of students and couples compromised from all corners of the world, it seems that they see firsthand the future of America and signs of the modern times.