The following is a list of resources – including websites, online articles, and books – that might be of interest to intercultural couples. I’m going to be building it up slowly, so check back every now and then to see if something has changed! Also try checking out the main Gori Girl site for my own advice, tips, and stories about intercultural relationships & Indian culture.
I’ve included excerpts of the articles & blog posts, and rated everything I’ve read according to a one to four star system. One star: check it out if it’s a topic you’re particularly interested in. Two stars: if you have some free time, this would be a good resource to read. Three stars: pretty awesome, so keep it in mind as a good resource. Four stars: Put it on your to-do list, ’cause you don’t want to miss this.
If you notice that any of the links are broken, or if there’s a great resource that ought to be up here, comment below or let me know at gorigirl.admin@gmail.com.
Contents
- Intercultural Websites
- Intercultural Articles
- Intercultural Blog Posts
- Intercultural Wedding Articles
- Multiracial Articles and Websites
- Personal Intercultural Websites and Blogs
- Podcasts, Videos, and Photos
- Nonfiction Books
- Children’s Books
- Internet Sites by Culture, Race, Ethnicity, and Faith
Intercultural Websites
- Intercultural Talk: Engaging and Delighting in Cultural Difference ✶ ✶
A blog by a white woman in an intercultural marriage living in Chicago. The posts on raising her child in a culturally and racially-sensitive are particularly great. - Interfaith Family: Encouraging Jewish Choices & a Welcoming Jewish Community ✶ ✶ ✶
A website on interfaith marriages with Jewish partners, but has articles that are good for anyone in an intercultural relationship - The Inter-faith Marriage Network ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
This British organization has an amazing, 68-page downloadable resource package for interfaith couples, although it’d likely be useful for any intercultural couples. Go – right now – and check it out. They also have an impressive list of resources and ideas for couples in all stages of their relationship. - Intermarriage ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
A forum on IndieBride which discusses all sorts of mixed marriages - Intermix✶ ✶ ✶
A British website focusing on any and all news of interracial or multiracial couples and families. Also has a forum and list of resources. - Interracial Family Circle: Providing a community for multiracial families, couples, and individuals ✶ ✶
A community group based out of Washington DC for families that are intercultural or interracial - Masala Couples ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
While this LiveJournal Community is aimed specifically at couples in a South-Asian + Other relationship, I think there’s plenty of advice there for everyone involved in an intercultural relationship.
Intercultural Articles
- Asian Pop: Opening the Box ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
Jeff Yang tackles intercultural dating in the Asian-American community in this great article. Useful points are brought up for anyone in a relationship where one partner is from an immigrant family.
Excerpt: “…No, the wisdom they sought to impart related to the Theory of Dating Relativity. Which is to say: The more similar your partner is to you without actually being a blood relative, the better… My parents weren’t being racist (or at least not maliciously so): Their beliefs were shaped by the reality in which they were brought up, and the culture to which they’d immigrated. They’d seen the challenges faced by people in mixed relationships, and they wanted my sister and me to have an easier life.” - Counseling interracial couples and multiracial individuals: Applying a multicultural counseling competency framework ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
A great, academic-y article discussing the issues raised in intercultural marriages, especially the challenges a multiracial child faces. It’s written to help therapists, but one can gather a fair out of it for personal use. Massive bibliography list at the end.
Excerpt:“In addition to gaining knowledge about the couple’s worldview experiences, counselors must assess and explore the worldview experiences of each partner. Counselors working with a partner in an interracial relationship who is of the same race as the counselor may assume that they share a similar worldview. The fact that the partner is in an interracial relationship alone, however, may place the client in a worldview context that is completely different from that of the counselor.” - Cross-cultural love is in the air, but it’s a long and winding road to bliss ✶
The Viet Nam News reports on five intercultural relationships between Vietnamese and Westerners.
Excerpt: “I’m an Australian living in Viet Nam with my fiancee Bui Thi Quyen, who is Vietnamese. Quyen and I have both found a series of challenges to being a cross-cultural couple in Viet Nam. Still it could have been worse. While I met Quyen in Ha Noi, she is actually from the countryside town of Ba Vi, so her family is naturally a little more conservative than people from the cities. Despite this, they have welcomed me with open arms. The only condition for me and Quyen to live together under the one roof at my place in Ha Noi, was to have an engagement party first.” - Everyday Tale of Our Time ✶ ✶
An article from the British Tablet discusses interfaith relationships’ challenges.
Excerpt: “This places many ministers in an acute dilemma when confronted by an engaged mixed-faith couple who explain that they are very much in love and genuinely compatible. As one rabbi put it: ‘I am torn between my concern for the couple – who am I to contradict them when they say they are right for each other? – and my concern for tradition and the fact that their relationship may endanger it.’” - How Blended Families Handle Cultural Differences ✶ ✶ ✶
A short article from the WSJ on “blended” families – intercultural, interracial, and interfaith. The (massive) comments are quite insightful. - The I Dos and I Don’ts of Intercultural Marriage ✶ ✶ ✶
A good article by the Washington Post via Interfaith Family. The article focuses on three common issues in intercultural relationships: speaking styles, child rearing, and extended family. Includes tips & ideas on how to overcome these and other issues.
Excerpt:”In reality, cultural differences often show up in more subtle and unpredictable ways than in the Hollywood models… Ben likes anyone entering their house to take off his shoes, a Japanese custom that was brought to Taiwan. Dot disagrees, so they have compromised by having a shoeless rug area; in other parts of the house, she may wear sandals. Ben also cares more about cleanliness at home than does Dot, which she attributes to his Southeast Asian roots. When it comes to vegetables, frozen ones are fine for Dot, but Ben wants his cut fresh and with sauce.” - International Marriages ✶
A short article that brings up the different points to consider in an international marriage.
Excerpt: “Those of us who appreciate exotic cultures often marry into them, enthusiastically but blindly. There are some common concerns about which all those who enter into an international marriage should be aware.” - Interracial marriage essays ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
A series of deep, thoughtful essays from Chicago Tribune readers discussing their interracial marriages. Includes the stories of a Chinese-white couple (She’s nice, but can she use chopsticks?), a black-white couple (My mom is brown. My dad is pink. We are beige), and an Indian-white couple (Combining the worlds of India, Indiana). Great stories – the last one particularly resonated with me, as I met Aditya in Indiana. Also, there’s a LOT more cool stuff on the site, which is a feature compilation of race-related articles.
Excerpt: “While I met Carrie’s parents immediately, we dated for two years before I told my parents about her. Carrie didn’t understand this, but it was a delicate situation. I knew there was going to be objections, so I tried to put it off for as long as I could. The dating concept is relatively new in India. In India, arranged marriages used to be the norm. But in urban areas, the trend now is toward more independence. Still, parents remain cautious and greatly involved. In India, it’s common for children to stay with their parents until marriage. Parents are protective and believe it’s their obligation to make sure their kids are educated, have good jobs and are married to people most compatible to them. Parents consider the failure of their children in marriage or life as a parental failing and hence are very involved in ensuring that their children succeed. Often times this means that the person they want their son or daughter to marry is similar in mannerism, religion and food habits to what their child is accustomed to. “ - Many date outside their race ✶ ✶
An article by the Indianapolis Star on interracial dating by Indiana youth.
Excerpt: “Isaac agreed that interracial dating isn’t a big deal. ‘A good amount of my friends are black, and I also have a lot of white friends,’ he said. Area students Brandon Boston, Sudarsan Chandrasekhar and Megan Cochran, all 18, are like the majority of Americans, according to a 2005 Gallup Poll. The survey found that a majority of Americans approve of interracial dating. As a group, young people had the highest approval rate — 95 percent. ‘Race isn’t the issue; finding the right person is the issue,’ said Sudarsan, who is of Indian descent and dated Megan, who is white, briefly. He will be a freshman at the University of Indianapolis. - Marriage is, after all, made in heaven ✶ ✶ (pdf)
A news story on the changing South Asian-American communities regarding interracial marriages. Lots of interesting sociological facts & figures.
Excerpt:“‘I always encourage focus on the good in each other and celebrating the differences. This especially applies to couples,’ said Mary. ‘Since Deven and I are from very different backgrounds, American/ Indian, Christian/ Hindu, engineer/ psychotherapist, we have had to choose to see the good in each other’s backgrounds. Because I have so completely embraced his culture, from the food to the clothing, his family says that I am more Indian than he is and they love me for loving them so much.’” - Mix and Match ✶
An article about intercultural Australian couples, and their ups and downs.
Excerpt: “’When an Australian man marries a non-Australian woman, brought up elsewhere, she will have different ideas of the role in the home, for example.’ And Owen should know. She’s an Australian Anglo/Celt who has been married to a Malaysian of Sinhalese and Indian parents for 50 years and has four children with him. ‘It’s very hard for an Indian man to accept that a cold meal is a proper nourishing meal – even if it’s the middle of summer,’ she says.” - Mixed cultures ✶ ✶ ✶
A series of articles by Radio Netherlands about bicultural families.
Excerpt: “Some cultural differences already manifest themselves while the table is being set. There appear to be national differences about what should be placed where and when. Mr Huges says the differences are even greater when it comes to clearing up after meals. However, apart from this, he says they don’t experience any problems different to those experienced by couples who share the same nationality.” - Mixed Marriages and How to Make Them Work ✶
A short article discussing mixed marriages from the expat viewpoint. Includes a list of good books to read.
Excerpt: “A U.S. Foreign Service officer once told me that meeting his wife while in training in Taiwan made perfect sense. He was in his late 20s, dating, and ready to find a lifetime partner. Being part of a community in which intercultural marriage is seen as perfectly logical and ‘going home to settle down’ at odds with his career plans, courting his wife in Taiwan seemed to present no complications or impediments.” - Nothing can prepare you ✶ ✶
A short article in the Toronto Star on intercultural marriages, written by a white Canadian married to an Indian woman.
Excerpt: “Despite two homelands and scattered family, in the end it’s Shree and I that need to be happy and comfortable with each other, and that we are. The idea of cultural differences evokes things like religion and holidays, food, cultural traits and traditions (like arranged marriages in India). With Shree and I, the differences are often more subtle and personal, but rooted in our respective cultural backgrounds nonetheless.” - One Love, Two Cultures: Making It Work ✶ ✶
A sweet, if slightly fluffy article about intercultural & international relationships. Good cross-section of cultures.
Excerpt:“Seeing each other casually isn’t really an option if you’re note living in the same time zone when you first meet. You have to make a commitment, early on, to nurture a relationship that may require securing a visa before going out to dinner. Add in the complications of different cultural approaches to love and marriage, conflicting ways of communicating, and language challenges, and it’s enough to give even the most ardent romantic a headache.“ - Rainbow Nation ✶ ✶ (pdf)
A short article from the Brookings Institute on demographic changes in mixed marriages in the US. Lots of interesting graphs & charts!
Excerpt: “Fresh census numbers on mixed-race marriages give new life to the hoary idea that opposites attract. Although we are far from the goal of a color-blind society, biracial unions did increase 65 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to my analysis of newly released data. Interracial couples now comprise one in 15 marriages in the U.S. – up from one in 23 in 1990.” - The Secrets To An Interfaith Relationship ✶ ✶
A longer article on interfaith relationships and the challenges that can arise from them.
Excerpt: “These stories only begin to hint at the issues involved in an interfaith pairing. The truth is, we can’t choose who we love—and sometimes who we end up with challenges our deepest-held assumptions about what the future will look like. When the obstacles involve faith, the issue is, even in the earthly sense, bigger than the two of you.” - The United Colors of Desi ✶ ✶
An article on intercultural marriages with a South Asian partner – has some great pictures of couples!
Excerpt: “When Sabeena Shah brought Joe Hubbard home to her parents, they knew she was serious. But they had questions. Would Hubbard fit into their Pakistani American extended family? Would he be able to fully embrace Islam? Shah’s father told Hubbard it wouldn’t work. This was ironic—primarily because, Shah’s mother, a white American, expressed some of the same ambivalence that her father did.”
Intercultural Blog Posts
- Attitudes that Can Doom an Interracial Relationship ✶ ✶
Written with a black-white focus, this article discusses some of the attitudes that can, well, doom an interracial (or intercultural!) relationship.
Excerpt:“Jennifer: There can be this concern that you’re disappointing your family even if you don’t hear anything.
Alexis: Sometimes you wonder: ‘Does he value me as much as he would as if I were the same race as he is?’ And I wonder if I’m overvaluing a white person because of internalized racism.“ - Bucking Tradition and Following the Path of My Heart ✶
A short article by an Indian-American university student on dating men outside of her race despite her family’s disapproval.
Excerpt: “We get a lot of looks, my boyfriend and I. Sometimes they’re friendly, but many times they’re hostile. The negative looks usually come from fellow Indian people, because I’m not dating an Indian man.” - Color-Blind Love ✶ ✶
An article discussing the difficulties of an intercultural relationship, by a Pakistani author married to a Greek.
Excerpt:“My views about such relationships are that while they bring cultures together, ultimately it is the individual one falls in love with, and his or her skin color or religion has nothing to do with why one falls in love in the first place. There’s a saying in Punjabi: “dil Khoti tay vi aa jaye, tay aa jaye” (love is blind – most certainly color blind).” - cross-cultural marriages? ✶
A post detailing interracial marriages in Malaysia, including the different ethnic groups in the country, some of the problems of intercultural relationships, and the positives too.
Excerpt: “The lost of one’s heritage, cultures, language, and more importantly beliefs in religion are some reasons why some families are so skeptical of cross-cultural marriage. Yet we can’t deny what beauty cross-cultural marriage can bring to us if we can deal with them nicely.” - Culture: Still a Deciding Factor for Dating? ✶ ✶
An article on second-generation Asian-Americans dating outside their race and culture.
Excerpt: “Kara Jiang, a first generation Chinese American and her boyfriend Arjan Kohli, a first generation Punjabi Indian American, have been dating for almost a year. But both have yet to break the news to their parents. Jiang believes it will be too much of a disappointment to her parents if they knew she was dating someone non-Chinese.” - Intercultural Dating ✶ ✶
A Russian-Jew/Armenian woman writes about the different intercultural relationships she’s had, and how others have reacted.
Excerpt: “… I am attracted to individuals, and it seems that these individuals happen to come from various cultural backgrounds. I do not choose them based on race or culture, I choose them based on personality (and yes, looks). The other day, I was trying to figure out what all the men that I have ever dated or wanted to date have in common, and I discovered that all of them are certified nerds. So there you go, I am attracted to nerds, and nerds come in all kinds of colors.” - Intercultural Marriage✶ ✶
A post on just that – the author’s thoughts on her intercultural marriage with her Russian husband. There are a few other posts on intercultural marriage, but that’s not the blog’s main topic.
Excerpt: “A successful intercultural marriage IS cool, but not because of what it looks like from the outside. It’s because of how much work it took to overcome the obstacles to communicate and understand each other well.” - Living in Japan: Foreign Wives Club ✶
The author discusses her difficulties in adopting to her husband’s country, and gives tips on how to cope with culture shock.
Excerpt: “Despite the difficulties, however, living in Japan was still an adventure. I could deal because, in my mind, my move to Japan was not permanent. It was only after my marriage and pregnancy that the reality started to hit me and deeper discontent set in. I realized that my child would grow up in a culture vastly different than my own. Even though we planned to raise our daughter bilingually, Japanese would likely be her dominant language.” - My first real glimpse at hatred ✶
An African-American woman discusses her white boyfriend’s father’s response to their relationship. Another good post on the topic of intercultural-ness at the same blog can be found here.
Excerpt: “well, i guess one day Jason forgot to put the picture away because his dad saw it. and flipped out. his precious only son was dating a black girl. his father’s world had come crashing down in that instance. i’ll never forget that summer afternoon, while i was peacefully napping at home, and was suddenly jerked awake by the earsplitting sound of someone ferociously banging on the front door of my house.” - On Inter-racial and Inter-cultural Marriage ✶ ✶ ✶
A Jewish woman writes about her relationship and upcoming marriage to a Chinese man. Be sure to check out the comments section, and perhaps read more of the blog for wedding details.
Excerpt: “And as for not marrying a Jew? A lot of people ask me if I’m okay with it, because I wasn’t planning on marrying outside of my culture before. To be totally honest, I don’t think I would be okay with it if Mr. Cream Puff weren’t so open to my culture, and to raising any potential “Little Puffs” Jewish (and Chinese, of course). I also don’t think I’d be okay with it (and I’m being totally honest here) if I weren’t marrying someone with his own strong sense of culture.” - Questions for Intercultural Couples ✶ ✶
A blogger from the group Kimchi Mamas discusses the type of questions she thinks all intercultural couples should address before getting married. Plenty of good stuff in the comments.
Excerpt: 4. How do the values of my partner’s culture conflict with my own values? Maybe after dinner your inlaws sit around complaining about immigrants who don’t speak English. Maybe your father-in-law makes it clear that he prefers his grandsons to his granddaughters. I’m a cultural relativist in general, but I also think there are times when we have to draw the line and say, “That’s not okay.” - Splitting up an interracial and intercultural family ✶ ✶ ✶
A Korean-American in the process of divorcing her white husband discusses her thoughts on the future for her mixed-race daughter.
Excerpt: “I have not filed yet but it’s already quite ugly, given that we also have a Little Nabi tofight overconsider,andwe have abandoned all hope of future relocation to Korea in order for LN to learn her mother’s side of culture and language. As a matter of fact, that aspect of our future plans was the first thing PN, my soon-to-be-ex husband, brought up as something he would not allow if I were to proceed with the divorce plans.” - Thoughts and Advice on Interracial Marriages ✶ ✶ ✶
A post on a Muslim website on interracial marriages in the Muslim community, but the article brings up good points for any intercultural couple. Lots of great comments.
Excerpt: “This is a post I have been thinking about writing for quite some time because I have a lot of thoughts on this issue (the reasons why may be obvious from the rest of this post) and I wanted to get them down and get some feedback from other Muslims. Here is how I want to focus this topic: (1) Before Marriage – Stereotypes/Obstacles (2) During Marriage – Culture Clash, Confused Kids, and Bewildered in-Laws (3) Societal Ramifications (focus on living in the US) (4) Parting Comments” - Vive la Difference!✶ ✶ ✶
A Christian minister celebrates her 15 year marriage to her Jewish husband, and how it has contributed to and changed her own faith.
Excerpt: “Here’s the truth of the matter: I am a better Christian for being married to Dan. Part of that has nothing to do with his religion–it has to do with his support of me, his wisdom, his curiosity, and the fact that he has been ‘game’ for a lot more church than he ever has wanted. But being married to Dan has also led me to examine the connections and differences between Christianity and Judaism on a much, much deeper level than I could without having an insiders view of Judaism.”
Intercultural Wedding Articles
- Are those matzo balls in my vindaloo? ✶ ✶ ✶
A wedding story between a Hindu bride and a Jewish groom with a focus on the food. Be sure to check out the pictures linked at the bottom of the story.
Excerpt: “The young couple look rapturous, if a little dazed, on their special day, as women in vivid saris in lime green and plum mingle with guests in black cocktail dresses and suits.” - The hot new wedding curry: Interfaith Marriages ✶ ✶ ✶
A long article on interfaith and intercultural marriages in the South Asian community. Includes detailed suggestions for wedding ceremonies, and lots of lovely pictures.
Excerpt: “Every little detail had to be worked out and we preferred to do it ourselves. There were two cultures involved, two faiths involved and completely two different languages. The whole marriage involved finding that delicate balance between both the religions involved – a task that might sound simple but is actually very difficult to do.” - Love proves the universal language at Indian weddings ✶ ✶ ✶
A really sweet story of the marriage of a second-generation South Indian-American woman and a white American man. Be sure to see the gallery of pictures (on the right) with pictures from start to finish of the four-day wedding celebration.
Excerpt:“For a while after her brother married 12 years ago, Smitha jokingly referred to herself as “The Great Brown Hope” — as in the last child in the family who could marry another Indian. Though her parents never told Smitha explicitly, “I just knew they preferred Indian. I always told them it would be whoever I fell in love with… I think they preferred Indian, but just making sure he’s from a good family and has good values were the most important.” - Marriage of True Minds – Hindu intercultural and interfaith marriages ✶ ✶
An article from beliefnet on intercultural marriages featuring Hindu and Sikh partners
Excerpt: If someone had told Steven Fleming, an Irish Catholic, that one day he’d be wearing a bright pink turban and silken kurta pajamas while dancing a Punjabi folk dance at his wedding, he would have said, ‘You must be joking!’” - Mixing it up: a case for Inter-faith and mixed marriages ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
A GREAT article on mixed marriages in the South Asian community, including a list of questions for couples to consider and tips on creating an interfaith marriage that will be meaningful for everyone involved.
Excerpt:“The surprising part is that most of this is happening with their parents’ blessings. It’s seems like parents who oppose marriage outside the religion tend to eventually reconcile themselves, sometimes reluctantly, to their children’s choices. Bitterness often melts away on the arrival of a grandchild. Sometimes couples don’t even have to wait that long. Most parents and in-laws are weary of language and religious barriers because they are unaware of customs and comfort levels. The moment they feel at home and are comfortable with the respect from the other’s family, all is well with the universe!”
Multiracial Articles and Websites
- Association of MultiEthnic Americans ✶ ✶
Name pretty much says it. Has a pretty spiffy website. - Interracial Voice: The Philosophical “Voice of Conscience” of the Global Multiracial Movement ✶
Seems to be a dead site, and with a bit of political overtone. I haven’t poked around much, but there seems to be some interesting content. - MAVIN: the mixed race experience ✶ ✶
They run a magazine and a few other projects for mixed race in the US - Metisse: An Online Magazine for Multicultural Young Woman ✶
Light on content and it doesn’t look like it’s been updated in awhile, but worth a glance. - The Multiracial Activist ✶
There’s a lot of content here, including a semi-active forum and blog posts. May not be everyone’s cup of tea. - Multiracial Americans see U.S. attitudes evolving ✶ ✶
Interesting article on changes in the U.S. as more multiracial Americans are born.
Excerpt:“Strong, open-minded parents must, consequently, work to help their multiracial children embrace their complete heritage, even as they feel pressure to ‘fit’ into stereotypical ‘color boxes,’ says Nancy Brown, 55, a nurse and psychotherapist in Los Angeles.” - Our New Look: The Colors of Race ✶ ✶
A short article from Newsweek covering the mixing of races, intercultural marriages, and the future racial demographics of the U.S. Nothing new here, but a good, succinct report.
Excerpt:“The rise of the mixed-race–or cafe au lait–society has led some to predict the end of distinctions based on ethnicity, racial appearance or ancestry. That seems unlikely. Even in Brazil, where racial mixing is accepted, even celebrated, color coding has not lost its sting. Status and privilege are still connected to lighter skin. Racial distinctions, albeit mutable and imprecise, are constantly made. In the emerging U.S. mestizo future, some people will still be whiter than others–and if the Latin America experience is any guide, they will have an advantage.”
Personal Intercultural Websites and Blogs
- Bahu Boot Camp ✶ ✶
An American woman writes about her intercultural relationship with a South Asian, and their interracial wedding plans. - Border Crossing: reflections on parenting in a bi-cultural family ✶ ✶ ✶
An Australian woman blogs about her adventures with Ghanaian culture, and the difficulties of raising a bi-cultural teenager. - Darshani ✶ ✶
She’s American and he’s South Indian. A few dead links, but a lot of great personal stories - A Love Across Cultures ✶ ✶
A blog from a Chinese-Singaporean mom living in Germany with her husband and two daughters. - I Married an Alien ✶ ✶
A website created by a woman who was frustrated with the lack of immigration information available for her husband’s paperwork. Also includes general intercultural family discussion. - The Iyer Family ✶ ✶
He’s South Indian, and she’s American. Well designed site with information about the couple’s mixed-traditions marriage - The Link Between: Connecting Christians Living Between Cultures ✶ ✶
While I’m not Christian, I believe that many of the posts here would be of interest to anyone interested in intercultural connections, particularly if you have a humanitarian bent. - Minnesota Meets Karnataka ✶ ✶ ✶
An American woman writes about her marriage to a South Asian man. - My One Love Life ✶ ✶
“I am a white woman, mother of two, married to a man from the Eastern Caribbean. I work to understand my whiteness everyday…” - Sardonic Sistah Says ✶ ✶ ✶
A black woman married to a Korean man blogging about racial issues
Podcasts, Videos, and Photos
- Absolutely Intercultural ✶ ✶
A bi-weekly podcast about all things intercultural by two Europeans - Celebrity Interracial Couples ✶
Pictures of interracial couples where one person is of African descent. - Intercultural Relationships: Can They Work? ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
An NPR recording of a discussion by the station’s cultural coach on intercultural relationships. - Interracial relationships in Britain ✶
A 10-minute segment on a discussion show, The Wright Stuff, on interracial relationships in the UK. - South Korea Tackles Multiculturalism ✶ ✶ ✶
All Things Considered – an NPR show – reports on the changes in rural South Korea, where many men, unable to attract Korean brides, are marrying women from other Asian nationalities. - The Top 5 Movies for Examining Interracial and Intercultural Relations ✶ ✶ ✶
List of 5 good intercultural movies, and explanations of why they’re interesting.
Nonfiction Books
– ordered by published date
- In Love But Worlds Apart: insights, questions, and tips for intercultural couples by G. Shelling and J. Fraser-Smith (2008)
Not read. - Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Multiracial Children by Donna Jackson Nakazawa (2004)
Not read, but it has excellent reviews. - How to Survive in International Marriage by Oksana Leslie (2004)
Not read. - Intercultural Marriage: Promises & Pitfalls by Dugan Romano (2001) ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
A comprehensive readable classic, touching on all the major issues a couple might have, interspersed with the stories of 20+ real intercultural couples. The focus is on relationships where the partners are from different countries, although I imagine it’d be useful for any couple to read. I was lucky to stumble upon this early in my relationship with Aditya. Get the second edition (2001), rather than the first (1988). - Love in a global village: a celebration of intercultural families by Jessie Carroll Grearson & Lauren B. Smith (2001) ✶ ✶ ✶
Written by a pair of women in intercultural marriages themselves, this book contains the stories of 15 families living in the Midwest. Each chapter contains one family’s interview, which is told in a prose style by the authors with extensive quoting. Quite readable, but I didn’t find it particularly useful for my own situation. The focus is again on bi-national couples. - Love’s revolution: interracial marriage by Maria P. P. Root (2001) ✶ ✶ ✶
See my in-depth review at this post.
While the academic-y writing style can become tiring at times, the book comprehensively covers the changing dynamics of interracial marriage in the US. The author, who is a practicing clinical psychologist, interviewed over 175 interracial couples and their extended families. This allows for a focus on how different families cope, or fail to cope when a person of a different race is added to the family dynamic. This book ought to be particularly useful for couples with extended family troubles. - Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Celebrating Interethnic, Interfaith, and Interracial Relationships by Brenda Lane Richardson (2000)
Not read. - Crossing the Line: Interracial Couples in the South by Robert P. McNamara, Maria Tempenis, and Beth Walton (1999)
Not read. - Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families by Peggy Gillespie and Gigi Kaeser (1997) ✶ ✶ ✶
Neat pictures, neat stories. Pretty much every interracial combination is represented here. - The Construction of Racial Identity in Children of Mixed Parentage: Mixed Metaphors by Ilan Katz (1996)
Not read. - Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk About Race and Identity by Lise Funderburg (1995)
Not read. - Cross-Cultural Marriages and the Church: Living the Global Neighborhood by J. Lawrence Driskill (1995)
Not read. - Swaying: essays on intercultural love edited by Jessie Carroll Grearson & Lauren B. Smith (1995) ✶ ✶
This book is a series of 15 essays by woman (about half of whom are American) in intercultural relationships. The essays cover different periods in a relationship, from early meetings to decades of marriage. While the format is interesting, the book contains a few essays that, frankly, are rather racist and completely useless. There are a few gems, but the editors should have displayed a bit more intelligence in their selections. - Mixed Matches: how to create successful interracial, intercultural, interethnic, and interfaith relationships by Joel Phd Crohn (1995)
Not read. - Inside the Mixed Marriage: accounts of changing attitudes, patterns, and perceptions of cross-cultural and interracial marriage edited by Walton R. Johnson and D. Michael Warren (1993) ✶ ✶
I’ve only skimmed certain sections of this book, which consists of academic-type essays and personal stories/case studies. The book is broken down into four sections: defining and exploring the mixed relationship (the academic part), adjusting to racial and cultural pluralism (stories), becoming a minority through the study abroad experience (stories), and immersion in a new culture: living and working abroad (stories). Many different countries and types of relationships are discussed, and the case studies are written by the intercultural couples. - Adjustment in Intercultural Marriage edited by Wen-Shing Tseng, John F. McDermott, Jr., Thomas W. Maretzki (1977)
Not read. Appears to be academic essays with a focus on America.
Children’s Books
- ordered roughly by age
Note: I have not read any of these books, so the reviews are coming straight from Amazon
- “More, More, More,” Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams
Ages Baby-Preschool. “A trio of multigenerational, multiracial ‘love stories’ about three pairs of babies and their grown-ups.” - The Aunt in Our House by Angela Johnson
Ages 4-8. “‘The Aunt’ comes to stay with the narrator’s family, and ‘me and Sister’ appreciate her mysterious presence. The siblings’ parents are artists; their white father paints the woman’s portrait while their African American mother teaches her to weave.” - Bear E. Bear by Susan Straight
Ages 4-8. Gaila’s teddy bear needs to be washed. “A large, warm, extended biracial family is depicted, and one of the special things about Bear E. Bear as noted by his owner is that when they’re both clean, they are the same light brown color.” - Billy and Belle by Sarah Garland
Ages 4-8. “Billy and Belle are eagerly anticipating the birth of a new sibling, but the impending arrival does not overshadow their excitement about pet day at school…School is depicted as a multicultural, stimulating environment, and the children’s household is a cozy and cooperative place with a black father and a white mother.” - Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff
Ages 4-8. “Originally published in 1973, Black Is Brown Is Tan was the first children’s book to feature an interracial family.” - Black, White, Just Right! by Marguerite W. Davol
Ages 4-8. “A mixed-race child celebrates the rich inclusiveness of her life in a joyful picture book.”
- Ginger Brown and Too Many Houses by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Ages 4-8. This early chapter book explores the effects of divorce on a young multiracial girl. - Hair/Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros
Ages 4-8. “It is a bilingual story that describes the differences between family members’ hair. It offers children the experience of diversity within one’s own family and how we can accept the differences within our own family.” - Hard to Be Six by Arnold Adoff
Ages 4-8. “Being six is hard, especially when your sister is ten…Hanna’s full-page portraits of this biracial family are lovingly detailed…” - How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman
Ages 4-8. “A bi-racial child tells the story of how her Japanese mother and American father met, fell in love, struggled to understand each other’s ways, and finally married.” - Liliana’s Grandmothers by Leyla Torres
Ages 4-8. “Liliana has two grandmothers from different countries, with different interests, and who speak different languages. This story presents the common differences in North American and Latin American cultures through a figure that is very important to both.” - Two Mrs. Gibsons by Toyomi Igus
Ages 4-8. “A narrator describes her life growing up with her African American grandmother and Japanese mother. She contrasts the women’s habits, attitudes, and personalities, and the activities she shares with each.” - A Visit to Amy-Claire by Claudia Mills
Ages 4-8. Describes the changing relationship between two young Asian/white cousins. - Edgar Allan by John Neufeld
Ages 9-12. “When the Ficketts decide to adopt Edgar Allan, they are sure they are doing a good thing–or so Reverend and Mrs. Fickett think. They don’t see the small boy as a ticking time bomb. But he is–because he is black, they are white, and their neighbors are determined to stop them. 12-year-old Michael Fickett is a witness to the town’s racism…and his life is changed forever.” - Sun Dance at Turtle Rock by Pat Costa Viglucci
Ages 9-12. “Cody, a bi-racial 12-year-old, visits his estranged white grandfather in the Allegheny foothills of Pennsylvania and finds both acceptance and prejudice against a backdrop of adventure.” - The Window by Michael Dorris
Ages 9-12. “…readers will “savor” this YA companion to Dorris’s adult novel A Yellow Raft in Blue Water; here, a younger Rayona is sent to foster homes when her Native American mother enters rehab, but ends up with her African-American father’s relatives in Kentucky.” - The World of Daughter McGuire by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Ages 9-12. Features an 11-year-old girl of African, Italian, Irish, Jewish, and Russian descent whose life is changing dramatically. - Yoshiko and the Foreigner by Mimi Otey-Little
Ages 9-12. The author recounts the story of her parents’ first meeting and courtship in Japan. - Jubilee Journey by Carolyn Meyer
Ages 11-15. “Biracial Emily Rose knows more about her father’s French-Canadian family than her mother’s African- American heritage, and is puzzling over her sense of identity.” - The House You Pass on the Way by Jacqueline Woodson
Ages 12+. “In this understated story set in a small, mostly African-American community in the South, Staggerlee Canan is shunned by her peers because her mother is white.”
Internet Sites by Culture, Race, Ethnicity, and Faith
South Asian
- Are those matzo balls in my vindaloo? ✶ ✶ ✶
A wedding story between a Hindu bride and a Jewish groom with a focus on the food. Be sure to check out the pictures linked at the bottom of the story.
Excerpt: “The young couple look rapturous, if a little dazed, on their special day, as women in vivid saris in lime green and plum mingle with guests in black cocktail dresses and suits.” - Bucking Tradition and Following the Path of My Heart ✶
A short article by an Indian-American university student on dating men outside of her race despite her family’s disapproval.
Excerpt: “We get a lot of looks, my boyfriend and I. Sometimes they’re friendly, but many times they’re hostile. The negative looks usually come from fellow Indian people, because I’m not dating an Indian man.” - Bahu Boot Camp ✶ ✶
An American woman writes about her intercultural relationship with a South Asian, and their interracial wedding plans. - Color-Blind Love ✶ ✶
An article discussing the difficulties of an intercultural relationship, by a Pakistani author married to a Greek.
Excerpt:“My views about such relationships are that while they bring cultures together, ultimately it is the individual one falls in love with, and his or her skin color or religion has nothing to do with why one falls in love in the first place. There’s a saying in Punjabi: “dil Khoti tay vi aa jaye, tay aa jaye” (love is blind – most certainly color blind).” - Culture: Still a Deciding Factor for Dating? ✶ ✶
An article on second-generation Asian-Americans dating outside their race and culture.
Excerpt: “Kara Jiang, a first generation Chinese American and her boyfriend Arjan Kohli, a first generation Punjabi Indian American, have been dating for almost a year. But both have yet to break the news to their parents. Jiang believes it will be too much of a disappointment to her parents if they knew she was dating someone non-Chinese.” - Darshani ✶ ✶
She’s American and he’s South Indian. A few dead links, but a lot of great personal stories - The hot new wedding curry: Interfaith Marriages ✶ ✶ ✶
A long article on interfaith and intercultural marriages in the South Asian community. Includes detailed suggestions for wedding ceremonies, and lots of lovely pictures.
Excerpt: “Every little detail had to be worked out and we preferred to do it ourselves. There were two cultures involved, two faiths involved and completely two different languages. The whole marriage involved finding that delicate balance between both the religions involved – a task that might sound simple but is actually very difficult to do.” - The Iyer Family✶ ✶
He’s South Indian, and she’s American. Well designed site with information about the couple’s mixed-traditions marriage - Love proves the universal language at Indian weddings ✶ ✶ ✶
A really sweet story of the marriage of a second-generation South Indian-American woman and a white American man. Be sure to see the gallery of pictures (on the right) with pictures from start to finish of the four-day wedding celebration.
Excerpt:“For a while after her brother married 12 years ago, Smitha jokingly referred to herself as “The Great Brown Hope” — as in the last child in the family who could marry another Indian. Though her parents never told Smitha explicitly, “I just knew they preferred Indian. I always told them it would be whoever I fell in love with… I think they preferred Indian, but just making sure he’s from a good family and has good values were the most important.” - Marriage is, after all, made in heaven ✶ ✶ (pdf)
A news story on the changing South Asian-American communities regarding interracial marriages. Lots of interesting sociological facts & figures.
Excerpt:“‘I always encourage focus on the good in each other and celebrating the differences. This especially applies to couples,’ said Mary. ‘Since Deven and I are from very different backgrounds, American/ Indian, Christian/ Hindu, engineer/ psychotherapist, we have had to choose to see the good in each other’s backgrounds. Because I have so completely embraced his culture, from the food to the clothing, his family says that I am more Indian than he is and they love me for loving them so much.’” - Marriage of True Minds – Hindu intercultural and interfaith marriages ✶ ✶
An article from beliefnet on intercultural marriages featuring Hindu and Sikh partners
Excerpt: If someone had told Steven Fleming, an Irish Catholic, that one day he’d be wearing a bright pink turban and silken kurta pajamas while dancing a Punjabi folk dance at his wedding, he would have said, ‘You must be joking!’” - Masala Couples ✶✶✶✶
While this LiveJournal Community is aimed specifically at couples in a South-Asian + Other relationship, I think there’s plenty of advice there for everyone involved in an intercultural relationship. - Minnesota Meets Karnataka ✶ ✶ ✶
An American woman writes about her marriage to a South Asian man. - Mixing it up: a case for Inter-faith and mixed marriages ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
A GREAT article on mixed marriages in the South Asian community, including a list of questions for couples to consider and tips on creating an interfaith marriage that will be meaningful for everyone involved.
Excerpt:“The surprising part is that most of this is happening with their parents’ blessings. It’s seems like parents who oppose marriage outside the religion tend to eventually reconcile themselves, sometimes reluctantly, to their children’s choices. Bitterness often melts away on the arrival of a grandchild. Sometimes couples don’t even have to wait that long. Most parents and in-laws are weary of language and religious barriers because they are unaware of customs and comfort levels. The moment they feel at home and are comfortable with the respect from the other’s family, all is well with the universe!” - Nothing can prepare you ✶ ✶
A short article in the Toronto Star on intercultural marriages, written by a white Canadian married to an Indian woman.
Excerpt: “Despite two homelands and scattered family, in the end it’s Shree and I that need to be happy and comfortable with each other, and that we are. The idea of cultural differences evokes things like religion and holidays, food, cultural traits and traditions (like arranged marriages in India). With Shree and I, the differences are often more subtle and personal, but rooted in our respective cultural backgrounds nonetheless.” - The United Colors of Desi ✶ ✶
An article on intercultural marriages with a South Asian partner – has some great pictures of couples!
Excerpt: “When Sabeena Shah brought Joe Hubbard home to her parents, they knew she was serious. But they had questions. Would Hubbard fit into their Pakistani American extended family? Would he be able to fully embrace Islam? Shah’s father told Hubbard it wouldn’t work. This was ironic—primarily because, Shah’s mother, a white American, expressed some of the same ambivalence that her father did.”
Asian
- Asian Pop: Opening the Box ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
Jeff Yang tackles intercultural dating in the Asian-American community in this great article. Useful points are brought up for anyone in a relationship where one partner is from an immigrant family.
Excerpt: “…No, the wisdom they sought to impart related to the Theory of Dating Relativity. Which is to say: The more similar your partner is to you without actually being a blood relative, the better… My parents weren’t being racist (or at least not maliciously so): Their beliefs were shaped by the reality in which they were brought up, and the culture to which they’d immigrated. They’d seen the challenges faced by people in mixed relationships, and they wanted my sister and me to have an easier life.” - Cross-cultural love is in the air, but it’s a long and winding road to bliss ✶
The Viet Nam News reports on five intercultural relationships between Vietnamese and Westerners.
Excerpt: “I’m an Australian living in Viet Nam with my fiancee Bui Thi Quyen, who is Vietnamese. Quyen and I have both found a series of challenges to being a cross-cultural couple in Viet Nam. Still it could have been worse. While I met Quyen in Ha Noi, she is actually from the countryside town of Ba Vi, so her family is naturally a little more conservative than people from the cities. Despite this, they have welcomed me with open arms. The only condition for me and Quyen to live together under the one roof at my place in Ha Noi, was to have an engagement party first.” - cross-cultural marriages? ✶
A post detailing interracial marriages in Malaysia, including the different ethnic groups in the country, some of the problems of intercultural relationships, and the positives too.
Excerpt: “The lost of one’s heritage, cultures, language, and more importantly beliefs in religion are some reasons why some families are so skeptical of cross-cultural marriage. Yet we can’t deny what beauty cross-cultural marriage can bring to us if we can deal with them nicely.” - Culture: Still a Deciding Factor for Dating? ✶ ✶
An article on second-generation Asian-Americans dating outside their race and culture.
Excerpt: “Kara Jiang, a first generation Chinese American and her boyfriend Arjan Kohli, a first generation Punjabi Indian American, have been dating for almost a year. But both have yet to break the news to their parents. Jiang believes it will be too much of a disappointment to her parents if they knew she was dating someone non-Chinese.” - Living in Japan: Foreign Wives Club ✶
The author discusses her difficulties in adopting to her husband’s country, and gives tips on how to cope with culture shock.
Excerpt: “Despite the difficulties, however, living in Japan was still an adventure. I could deal because, in my mind, my move to Japan was not permanent. It was only after my marriage and pregnancy that the reality started to hit me and deeper discontent set in. I realized that my child would grow up in a culture vastly different than my own. Even though we planned to raise our daughter bilingually, Japanese would likely be her dominant language.” - A Love Across Cultures ✶ ✶
A blog from a Chinese-Singaporean mom living in Germany with her husband and two daughters. - On Inter-racial and Inter-cultural Marriage ✶ ✶ ✶
A Jewish woman writes about her relationship and upcoming marriage to a Chinese man. Be sure to check out the comments section, and perhaps read more of the blog for wedding details.
Excerpt: “And as for not marrying a Jew? A lot of people ask me if I’m okay with it, because I wasn’t planning on marrying outside of my culture before. To be totally honest, I don’t think I would be okay with it if Mr. Cream Puff weren’t so open to my culture, and to raising any potential “Little Puffs” Jewish (and Chinese, of course). I also don’t think I’d be okay with it (and I’m being totally honest here) if I weren’t marrying someone with his own strong sense of culture.” - Questions for Intercultural Couples ✶ ✶
A blogger from the group Kimchi Mamas discusses the type of questions she thinks all intercultural couples should address before getting married. Plenty of good stuff in the comments.
Excerpt: 4. How do the values of my partner’s culture conflict with my own values? Maybe after dinner your inlaws sit around complaining about immigrants who don’t speak English. Maybe your father-in-law makes it clear that he prefers his grandsons to his granddaughters. I’m a cultural relativist in general, but I also think there are times when we have to draw the line and say, “That’s not okay.” - Sardonic Sistah Says✶ ✶
A black woman married to a Korean man blogging about racial issues - Splitting up an interracial and intercultural family ✶ ✶ ✶
A Korean-American in the process of divorcing her white husband discusses her thoughts on the future for her mixed-race daughter.
Excerpt: “I have not filed yet but it’s already quite ugly, given that we also have a Little Nabi tofight overconsider,andwe have abandoned all hope of future relocation to Korea in order for LN to learn her mother’s side of culture and language. As a matter of fact, that aspect of our future plans was the first thing PN, my soon-to-be-ex husband, brought up as something he would not allow if I were to proceed with the divorce plans.” - South Korea Tackles Multiculturalism ✶ ✶ ✶
All Things Considered – an NPR show – reports on the changes in rural South Korea, where many men, unable to attract Korean brides, are marrying women from other Asian nationalities.
European
- Absolutely Intercultural ✶ ✶
A bi-weekly podcast about all things intercultural by two Europeans - Color-Blind Love ✶ ✶
An article discussing the difficulties of an intercultural relationship, by a Pakistani author married to a Greek.
Excerpt:“My views about such relationships are that while they bring cultures together, ultimately it is the individual one falls in love with, and his or her skin color or religion has nothing to do with why one falls in love in the first place. There’s a saying in Punjabi: “dil Khoti tay vi aa jaye, tay aa jaye” (love is blind – most certainly color blind).” - Intercultural Dating ✶ ✶
A Russian-Jew/Armenian woman writes about the different intercultural relationships she’s had, and how others have reacted.
Excerpt: “… I am attracted to individuals, and it seems that these individuals happen to come from various cultural backgrounds. I do not choose them based on race or culture, I choose them based on personality (and yes, looks). The other day, I was trying to figure out what all the men that I have ever dated or wanted to date have in common, and I discovered that all of them are certified nerds. So there you go, I am attracted to nerds, and nerds come in all kinds of colors.” - Intercultural Marriage✶ ✶
A post on just that – the author’s thoughts on her intercultural marriage with her Russian husband. There are a few other posts on intercultural marriage, but that’s not the blog’s main topic.
Excerpt: “A successful intercultural marriage IS cool, but not because of what it looks like from the outside. It’s because of how much work it took to overcome the obstacles to communicate and understand each other well.” - A Love Across Cultures ✶ ✶
A blog from a Chinese-Singaporean mom living in Germany with her husband and two daughters. - Mixed cultures ✶ ✶ ✶
A series of articles by Radio Netherlands about bicultural families.
Excerpt: “Some cultural differences already manifest themselves while the table is being set. There appear to be national differences about what should be placed where and when. Mr Huges says the differences are even greater when it comes to clearing up after meals. However, apart from this, he says they don’t experience any problems different to those experienced by couples who share the same nationality.”
African and African-American
- Attitudes that Can Doom an Interracial Relationship ✶ ✶
Written with a black-white focus, this article discusses some of the attitudes that can, well, doom an interracial (or intercultural!) relationship.
Excerpt:“Jennifer: There can be this concern that you’re disappointing your family even if you don’t hear anything.
Alexis: Sometimes you wonder: ‘Does he value me as much as he would as if I were the same race as he is?’ And I wonder if I’m overvaluing a white person because of internalized racism.“ - Border Crossing: reflections on parenting in a bi-cultural family ✶ ✶ ✶
An Australian woman blogs about her adventures with Ghanaian culture, and the difficulties of raising a bi-cultural teenager. - Celebrity Interracial Couples ✶
Pictures of interracial couples where one person is of African descent. - My first real glimpse at hatred ✶
An African-American woman discusses her white boyfriend’s father’s response to their relationship. Another good post on the topic of intercultural-ness at the same blog can be found here.
Excerpt: “well, i guess one day Jason forgot to put the picture away because his dad saw it. and flipped out. his precious only son was dating a black girl. his father’s world had come crashing down in that instance. i’ll never forget that summer afternoon, while i was peacefully napping at home, and was suddenly jerked awake by the earsplitting sound of someone ferociously banging on the front door of my house.” - My One Love Life ✶ ✶
“I am a white woman, mother of two, married to a man from the Eastern Caribbean. I work to understand my whiteness everyday…” - Sardonic Sistah Says✶ ✶ ✶
A black woman married to a Korean man blogging about racial issues
Central and South American
- Intercultural Talk: Engaging and Delighting in Cultural Difference ✶ ✶
A blog by a white woman in an intercultural marriage living in Chicago. The posts on raising her child in a culturally and racially-sensitive are particularly great.
Interfaith and Religious
- Are those matzo balls in my vindaloo? ✶ ✶ ✶
A wedding story between a Hindu bride and a Jewish groom with a focus on the food. Be sure to check out the pictures linked at the bottom of the story.
Excerpt: “The young couple look rapturous, if a little dazed, on their special day, as women in vivid saris in lime green and plum mingle with guests in black cocktail dresses and suits.” - Everyday Tale of Our Time ✶ ✶
An article from the British Tablet discusses interfaith relationships’ challenges.
Excerpt: “This places many ministers in an acute dilemma when confronted by an engaged mixed-faith couple who explain that they are very much in love and genuinely compatible. As one rabbi put it: ‘I am torn between my concern for the couple – who am I to contradict them when they say they are right for each other? – and my concern for tradition and the fact that their relationship may endanger it.’” - Intercultural Dating ✶ ✶
A Russian-Jew/Armenian woman writes about the different intercultural relationships she’s had, and how others have reacted.
Excerpt: “… I am attracted to individuals, and it seems that these individuals happen to come from various cultural backgrounds. I do not choose them based on race or culture, I choose them based on personality (and yes, looks). The other day, I was trying to figure out what all the men that I have ever dated or wanted to date have in common, and I discovered that all of them are certified nerds. So there you go, I am attracted to nerds, and nerds come in all kinds of colors.” - Intercultural Talk: Engaging and Delighting in Cultural Difference ✶ ✶
A blog by a white Jewish woman in an intercultural marriage with a Brazilian living in Chicago. The posts on raising her child in a culturally and racially-sensitive are particularly great. - Interfaith Family: Encouraging Jewish Choices & a Welcoming Jewish Community ✶ ✶ ✶
A website on interfaith marriages with Jewish partners, but has articles that are good for anyone in an intercultural relationship - The Inter-faith Marriage Network ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
This British organization has an amazing, 68-page downloadable resource package for interfaith couples, although it’d likely be useful for any intercultural couples. Go – right now – and check it out. They also have an impressive list of resources and ideas for couples in all stages of their relationship. - The Link Between: Connecting Christians Living Between Cultures ✶ ✶
While I’m not Christian, I believe that many of the posts here would be of interest to anyone interested in intercultural connections, particularly if you have a humanitarian bent. - Marriage of True Minds – Hindu intercultural and interfaith marriages ✶ ✶
An article from beliefnet on intercultural marriages featuring Hindu and Sikh partners
Excerpt: If someone had told Steven Fleming, an Irish Catholic, that one day he’d be wearing a bright pink turban and silken kurta pajamas while dancing a Punjabi folk dance at his wedding, he would have said, ‘You must be joking!’” - On Inter-racial and Inter-cultural Marriage ✶ ✶ ✶
A Jewish woman writes about her relationship and upcoming marriage to a Chinese man. Be sure to check out the comments section, and perhaps read more of the blog for wedding details.
Excerpt: “And as for not marrying a Jew? A lot of people ask me if I’m okay with it, because I wasn’t planning on marrying outside of my culture before. To be totally honest, I don’t think I would be okay with it if Mr. Cream Puff weren’t so open to my culture, and to raising any potential “Little Puffs” Jewish (and Chinese, of course). I also don’t think I’d be okay with it (and I’m being totally honest here) if I weren’t marrying someone with his own strong sense of culture.” - The Secrets To An Interfaith Relationship ✶ ✶
A longer article on interfaith relationships and the challenges that can arise from them.
Excerpt: “These stories only begin to hint at the issues involved in an interfaith pairing. The truth is, we can’t choose who we love—and sometimes who we end up with challenges our deepest-held assumptions about what the future will look like. When the obstacles involve faith, the issue is, even in the earthly sense, bigger than the two of you.” - Thoughts and Advice on Interracial Marriages ✶ ✶ ✶
A post on a Muslim website on interracial marriages in the Muslim community, but the article brings up good points for any intercultural couple. Lots of great comments.
Excerpt: “This is a post I have been thinking about writing for quite some time because I have a lot of thoughts on this issue (the reasons why may be obvious from the rest of this post) and I wanted to get them down and get some feedback from other Muslims. Here is how I want to focus this topic: (1) Before Marriage – Stereotypes/Obstacles (2) During Marriage – Culture Clash, Confused Kids, and Bewildered in-Laws (3) Societal Ramifications (focus on living in the US) (4) Parting Comments” - Vive la Difference!✶ ✶ ✶
A Christian minister celebrates her 15 year marriage to her Jewish husband, and how it has contributed to and changed her own faith.
Excerpt: “Here’s the truth of the matter: I am a better Christian for being married to Dan. Part of that has nothing to do with his religion–it has to do with his support of me, his wisdom, his curiosity, and the fact that he has been ‘game’ for a lot more church than he ever has wanted. But being married to Dan has also led me to examine the connections and differences between Christianity and Judaism on a much, much deeper level than I could without having an insiders view of Judaism.”