My dad was always a big racist (we live in the south) and I always hated it. When his best friend's daughter gave birth to a bi-racial son a few months after my son was born, my dad's attitude began to change. I think sometimes it has to hit you where you live before you see that everyone is the same yet different underneath all our different shades of skin.
Also, I never allowed my dad to tell racist jokes or make racist comments around my son. He started to one day and my son, who was 3 at the time said "Papaw, Mommy's not going to like it when I tell her you said that word." My dad said, "Then we shouldn't tell her." and my son said "But we have to tell her, she's the mommy."
I know we live in a racist society (esp here in Alabama), but we do not have to contribute to it or allow it to be that way in our own families. I don't think it is a bad thing to choose children that are close to your own culture. I think that each person is called for a different purpose.
Christy