Secrets of a Successful Multicultural Marriage
Deciding to get married is one of the major events in your life. Choosing a partner to share your future with requires a great deal of thought, consideration, and love. While any engagement or marriage can face issues, a multicultural marriage can carry some additional compromises.
Although there are certainly many benefits associated with marrying someone from a different culture, they may be unexpected issues than you haven’t thought about. If you’re planning a future with someone from a different culture to your own, strengthen your relationship now by taking a look at these four secrets of a successful multicultural marriage:
How Important is Your Culture?
For some people, their culture is a part of them, but it isn’t a defining feature in their life. For others, their culture informs every major decision they make. Determine how important your culture is to you will help you to identify key issues that may arise later on. Do you want to celebrate your culture in everyday life, for example, and, if so, how? Similarly, asking your future spouse to reflect on how they want to celebrate their own culture will help you to find ways to share your joint cultures as part of your relationship.
Where Will You Live?
If your partner is from a different culture, there’s a chance that they may have been born or have family in a different country too. If so, you’ll need to talk about where you see your future and where you plan to live. There are practical issues, such as whether you’ll need a marriage based green card, to consider, so this is something you’ll want to talk about in advance. Knowing where you’re going to spend your life is critical for your happiness, so coming to a joint decision about where you want to live is the basis for a happy union.
Will You Practice Different Religions?
When two people from different cultures get married, they often have different religions too. Some people may choose to convert to their partner’s faith, while other couples may be happy to practice different religions. Of course, religion isn’t important to everyone, but it may be a fundamental aspect of your life or of your partner’s life. Discussing potentially different beliefs and how you’ll address them will stand in your good stead for the future and help you to build a strong foundation for your relationship.
Practicing different religions in a relationship, while it may not bother the other person, could take its toll and cause problems in your relationship. Talk your problems through, and consider attending couples therapy to help work through your problems and come out the other side stronger than ever.
How Will You Raise Your Children?
If you plan to have children, it’s likely you’ll want them to grow up feeling that they’re part of both their parent’s cultures. However, you may choose to raise them in one religion or in accordance with one set of cultural values. This can be a source of conflict in relationships, so it’s essential to discuss your parenting plans before you decide to set the date.
Celebrating a Multicultural Relationship
Some people assume that a multicultural marriage has a lesser chance of success due to the differences between the respective partners. However, all marriages face challenges, regardless of where they originate from. By taking the time to learn about your partner’s culture and find ways to incorporate both of your beliefs into your new life, your multicultural marriage could be one of the happiest around.
