7 Challenges Every Multicultural Couple Faces

It is one thing to know intellectually that all cultures are equal and that one must adapt, it is quite another to be able to suspend judgment and to apply cultural differences in one’s daily life. This is why, for an intercultural relationship to work, each partner must to some degree learn to understand, acknowledge, and respect the views of the other partner, even if they cannot always come to an agreement. Dr. Shaifali Sandhya (PhD., The University legit mail order bride sites of Chicago; MA, The University of Cambridge) is an experienced couple’s and family therapist and has assisted hundreds of couples around the world in their quest for personal growth, enrichment, and happiness. The couple also participated in a shared veil or mantilla ceremony, a ritual with Spanish roots. The mantilla is a long white lace veil that’s traditionally draped on the bride’s head and groom’s shoulder by two female family members of the bride and groom, typically the couple’s mothers, as they kneel before the altar during the Catholic Mass.

In this phase of life, I have a sense of belonging to multiple cultures. We both had deeply experienced each other’s home culture before we met, so that helps a lot in getting through those problematic cultural adjustment periods like having our first child, changing jobs, the family of origin conflict, or moving countries. Though dating and marrying a person of another race or culture has become more common, it’s still not universal. But few women were executives in the 1960s, and look where the forerunners have taken the world in the twenty-first century! By being in a multicultural relationship — or even just being open to the idea of it — you’re a forerunner, too. For couples who have families who speak different languages, communication itself can be a challenge.

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So you can easily imagine the trouble of understanding each other in a foreign language.
“My mom worried that I would forget about her if I didn’t marry a Latina,” said Jesse Herrera, who married Emily, a white woman.
Demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution suggests that the data show “we’re becoming much more of an integrated, multiracial society.”
Those are the frustrations that still keep me up at night, now almost 15 years into engaging with Indian culture.

There were a lot of frustrations and struggles that most people go through who move from the West to the East. I’m fortunate enough to have been to almost every continent, and my early relationships helped feed that travel bug dream.

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I do not work with couples/relationships in active domestic violence/intimate partner violence, narcissistic abuse, and where active infidelity is occurring. Picture a family full of love, understanding and respect and know that it’s well within reach for you now. Think about the many years of frustration and stress that you could potentially avoid by getting this information now. The first time we met was pretty laid back in my memory, but I’m sure in reality we were all nervous. My dad had already done the bulk of the work by showing up and honoring them with his visit. The first time I met them, I was actually in India alone on a project and flew to their city to stay with them.

Holidays as an Interracial Couple

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There is a tendency to value things, but people should be of primary concern. Be aware of the differences between behavior modification or adaptation and core value changes. Edelmann and Connolly demonstrated that gender stereotypes may be common in studies on the adjustment to infertility and may conceal the real reactions of genders. When the relevant sociodemographic and medical variables were controlled between these countries in the analysis of the couples as a unit , the “collectivist” vs. “individualist” dichotomy, while exploring cultural differences, disappeared. This “dichotomy” assumption may lead to incongruent conclusions, and therefore we have to focus on intra-cultural differences at a local level in each country and not on intercultural differences. When both partners share most of the same cultural assumptions, they are unlikely to find the minor differences a source of conflict. When people from cultures with significant differences get married, each partner must grapple with an unfamiliar set of expectations and assumptions.

You love them, even if you don’t particularly agree with aspects of their culture. Second, you have a normal conversation with your in-laws and the extended family. There will be times when you’re not sure what to do or may curse yourself for making a mistake, but don’t give up. Eventually, you will master everything and things will be fine.