Normally, this means that interracial or multicultural couples have a unique need to bend, flex, compromise, and accommodate to one another’s contrasting ways of looking at life. This is especially true if a husband and wife grew up in different parts of the world. Different cultures have different traditions and customs, eat different types of food, speak separate languages or dialects or embrace different ideas of behavior.
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.
But potential obstacles need to be clearly identified and frankly addressed before moving ahead. Ready to begin marriage counseling, couples therapy, or relationship coaching with Growing Self? Start by scheduling a free consultation meeting with the expert of your choice. We offerDenver couples therapy and Denver marriage counselingas well as online couples therapy. We are determined to continue to maintain and develop our healthy relationship as a young multicultural couple . Hence, I have gathered some of our experiences and hope to share them with all the young couples out there. Hopefully, these tips can be helpful in order for you to develop a healthier relationship with your loved ones.
- If you are looking for a therapist sensitive to and experienced with diversity issues call Maplewood Counseling.
- So try to step out of your own personal viewpoint and try to look at the problem from their perspective.
- Things like; ‘you must be so good at math because everyone in your family is an engineer‘ or ‘you must be so good at dancing because you are Latina‘, hurt the person if they aren’t part of the group that actually can do those things.
- “I’m not afraid to ask what everyone is talking about,” she said.
- We are the couple that hates and makes fun of those movies that show scenes of couples having a fight and then two of them just lay in the bed, turn away from each other, and go to sleep.
We are glad that we have been able to journey and grow and change together. Moving overseas is one of those life-changing events that cause us to evolve.
How can we best respect different traditions?
I feel like this can be legit mail order bride sites one of the biggest challenges for a multicultural couple. You want your child to feel that they can come to you for support, but not to feel pressured or intimidated. Answer their questions directly and don’t forget to validate their feelings whenever you can. Your partner is probably the best person to offer you solace from these external stressors.
Challenges Every Multicultural Couple Faces
You may butt heads with your spouse, which can be confusing for children who often thrive when seeing a united family front. Whether it’s travel, new recipes, or embracing a new way of life, being with someone of a different background can make your life feel rich and diverse. One amazing advantage of marriage in different cultures is that it opens your palate up to new flavors and cooking styles and gives you a wider array of dinner options.
There are times when Maria Jaramillo and Christoph Schemionek feel as if they live in a universe all their own. She was born and raised in Ecuador, he is from Germany, and they live in Washington, D.C., the city where they met in 2003.
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.