Assalamualakum, Brothers and Sisters

I (24F) am currently in the midst of my graduate degree, and recently, have found myself interested in marrying a long-time family friend of mine. He is at a similar level of education and in the same field as me. His sister has been my best friend for the past 15 years. We were both raised in the same community, same masjid, and even live on the same street- so we played together as children and would see each other in passing during adolescence. As adults, we saw each other much more frequently since we would volunteer in the same places and went to the same college.

I should clarify I never spent time with him alone, but rather saw enough of him throughout my life, and we always happen to engage in the most niche of conversations about shared topics and interests. It wasn't until I was visiting their house one day late at night, that my best friend started talking about marriage. Her brother and I had very similar outlooks on marriage. We ended up getting into yet another niche conversations, and it was only after leaving that I realized I had feelings towards him. After floating the conversation to his sister, she told me she thought we would be a good match for several years.

I ought to note: the conversation I just mentioned came about not a week after I had done an istikhara prayer about marriage, from seeing just how many young men were joining in on things like the Andrew Tate movement, and were advocating for things like "tradwives" and "no-strings-nikahs". Which, no shade to the Muslims and Muslimahs who do chose to pursue that lifestyle, is something I didn't want for myself. Not in the slightest.

So it felt like a perfect sign and match from Allah SwT when I saw this young man in a new perspective.

Except when I approached my mom two weeks later, after I'd had time to think it over and solidify my thoughts, she was vehemently against the idea, because our neighbors were not of the same race as us.

The issue? We do not know many individuals of our own ethnicity in our city. Even young men of age that we do know are... very much not the ideal Muslims, to put it politely. My mother went as far as saying she would rather I marry an uneducated person from my culture/ethnicity than an educated one from a different culture, stating you wouldn't find anyone better than (my race).

She also cited him not speaking Arabic as a barrier, but since relaying that to my best friend, her brother started to audit Arabic courses at our college. Both our families speak English, and evidently I do want to pass down Arabic to my children, along with other aspects of my culture. I don't think, them being mixed race will make them not my race. I think we as Muslims should be well past the idea of preserving a bloodline and be focused more building healthier lives, as opposed to convenient ones.

I am too scared to talk with my father now because of my mother's reaction. Ironically he had said some weeks before that "If I had a son, I would marry them to (best friend)" because of her character and manners. I unfortunately don't think it would go the other way around.

I've performed yet another Istikhara and still feel the same way, but aside from that, I'm sure others have been in this situation before. Any advice?