Are you married to someone from a different culture or country?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Aurelia
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Aurelia

Guest
How is it going for you? Do you have ‘culture clashes’ over American ways?
 
My husband is British and we live in the US. I think America has been a bit of a culture shock to him! He’s from a small town in England and I’m sure that at times America has been overwhelming. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to travel to England yet but I’m really looking forward to it as I feel it will help me to know him even better.

We have had misunderstandings on occasion. Moreso in the early days. Different ways of putting things, different ways of reacting to things. While it is a challenge, it is also fascinating and so interesting to compare notes and find a way to bring our two heritages together.

I already knew more about England and British traditions than the average American because I’ve always been fascinated with anything British so I think that helped. I’ve even learned to cook some of his favorite British dishes, found a local British food store, we watch BBC America, etc.

To me, having come from different countries and backgrounds only makes things more interesting and fun and the good far outweighs the bad. We always have fun at the 4th of July with me telling him how we beat the British and him telling me that he’s come here to take the country back! Silly but fun. He also makes fun of my accent. I tell him that I’m not the one with the accent! But it’s all in good fun.

Amie
 
I’m an Irish American married to a Mexican. It’s amazing how much the Irish have in common with Mexicans!
We get along really well, mostly because he’s very tolerant of my weird notions. Well, I think his notions are weird, but I try to be tolerant too. Of course it helps that we’re both Catholic.
We have had culture clashes at times, mostly involving his family. Apparently in the part of Mexico he hails from, you don’t dare stop at the scene of an accident because you may be arrested as contributory. So when a traffic accident happened near my in-laws house and I took off to see if I could help out, they all thought I was nuts.
He also believes in remedios caseras, which are household remedies for various ailments. Like washing your hair in crushed birth control pills cures baldness. This has been a source of contention on occasion, but I try really hard to disagree politely when I think he’s mistaken.
I think the main thing to keep in mind is to be respectful and courteous at all times, and support your spouse as you would like to be supported.
 
40.png
Aurelia:
How is it going for you? Do you have ‘culture clashes’ over American ways?
Click to expand...
I’m Irish, married to a Japanese man, living in Japan. We’ve been married for almost 3 years now and I’ve been living in Japan for about 7 years. We don’t have any “clashes” over American ways since neither of us is American and we don’t live in the US:)
Actually, we rarely have any cultural “clashes” even though we come from totally different cultures and religions. I’m Catholic and he is Buddhist/Shinto. I guess it’s a case of “opposites attract”.

Gearoidin
 
Although we are both Catholics that were we stop being the same.I am Irish American, my people are of what is known as lower working middle class. I am married to a man who was born and raised in Chile. He can from extreme wealth. His family had a large home a large business. They had housekeepers, nannies ect. When the political uprising happened in Chile in the early 70’s my husband’s family fled the Country, (I still after all these years don’t know exactly why they never talk about it.)some in Spain, some in Panama and my husband and his older sister in the US. They learned quickly how to adjust to “lower middle class” life. Now and then the " snobby rich boy" comes out but he knows after 30 some-odd years, there is more to life.
 
I am a Texan, but went to college abroad in Ohio. I met my wife in college, she is from Trinidad. Naturalization is a costly manuever for a couple newly married and young. Cultural differences can be ironed out over time, good communication, and patience. Vacation to the island, I mean family visits to Trinidad are obvisously expensive, but well worth the sacrifice. I love Trinidad culture, food, and fun. Her family is great and very generous and charitable. Some cultural differences are present. She doesn’t recognize holidays that we have here in this country. Texan Day, Great State Day, Lone Star Day, and Shiner Bock Day. No really, for instance Thanksgiving and the 4th of July were family days of bar-b-que and visit, but for her they are just another day. Same goes for me. Trinidad has Carnival, we have not. Trinidad celebrates Boxing Day (no, not put the gloves on boxing, rather box your leftover Christmas dishes and give to the poor boxing). Having both sets of grandparents around is probably the hardest, her side of the family is large and close, mine small and close. She is used to a vibrant community atmosphere of friends and family, mine mainly family. The states are very individualistic in that regard. But overall, I think the mixing of two cultures is a fine idea, much like mixing Rum and Sprite.
 
I’m a white American and my husband was born and raised in Guatemala, where we met. He was a street kid who grew up in orphanages, while I was raised in a middle-class family living in a nice suburb.

We haven’t had any -huge- clashes over anything cultural, but while we were dating we used to have plenty of miscommunication, especially over manners. What’s polite or perfectly acceptable in one culture can be offensive or just seem strange to someone from another.
 
On the lighter side, When this Irish American tried Spanish foods for the first, (ok hundred) times, for my new husband. It was a disaster.:o He was an angel and took this weeping bride out to dinner. Now I can whip up these meals in no time…thanks to GOYA:D
 
I am Basque in origen, Spanish by lineage, Mexican, Irish and Welsh by descent, Navajo and Mecalero by heritage, American y birth and San Franciscian by the grace of God. My wife if Filipina with some Chinese and Spanish thrown in. OUr children are… Well very confused.

Godspeed >< >
 
Haha, this is so true…fleeing the scene of any accident is very much the custom in Mexico!
Viki59 said:
Apparently in the part of Mexico he hails from, you don’t dare stop at the scene of an accident because you may be arrested as contributory. So when a traffic accident happened near my in-laws house and I took off to see if I could help out, they all thought I was nuts.
Click to expand...
 
I’m English and German, he is German and Irish which makes him a split personality. Kids are each from their own planet. DH is also a Yankees fan. Some things 40 yrs of marriage simply cannot overcome. Now we are both in the foreign country of Texas and adjusting.
 
I’m Scottish, and hopefully soon to move to Washington state to marry my fiancee. We don’t have too many clashes, in fact, Washington reminds me a lot of Scotland.

The only issue I’ve noticed so far is that British people are a lot less positive about things than Americans, a lot more cynical, Scots even more so, and I’m more cynical and pessimistic than your average Scot, which means I must seem like Mr Negativity to my fiancee much of the time. We’re getting over this, slowly.
 
We’re both British, but I grew up in Holland and my dh is from German/Irish parentage…It clashes from time to time as we phrase things differently and that can lead to misunderstandings sometimes…

Anna x
 
My DH is from England, I’m American. We have some small culture clashes, but nothing huge so far. He seems to be adjusting well to being here in America, he immigrated here last September, shortly before we got married. I love it that we are different, even if it makes me crazy at times, like when he pulls out the sheets on the end of the bed because he’s not used to having a top sheet (though he’s getting much better about it). 😃

We are both very Catholic, and it is our Faith that binds us together as husband and wife. And I can’t even begin to say how much I love that about him, about us.

We are going back to England in September, I just love it there, and he is looking forward to seeing family and friends. We are hoping to renew our vows during Mass on our anniversary at his parish where he used to live, for those who could not come over for the wedding last year, with a very modest cake and wine reception following for all who attend Mass. And I’ve not met my in-laws yet, so I’m really looking forward to that!

I think that being married to him has opened my eyes to the wider world, as well as looking at my own little corner of it in a more broad and open minded perspective. Yeah, he’s my little British cynic, especially about America, but I love him still. 😃

~Liza
 
My last girlfriend was from a different European country. I loved that country too and the people and the places and the history, tried to pick up the language. She returned the sentiment, I think. But cultural differences coupled with religious differences and long distance. In the end she wanted to break up.
 
My husband is from New Jersey–it is a culture shock for him to be married to a southern country girl:p
 
JoyfulOne said:
My husband is from New Jersey–it is a culture shock for him to be married to a southern country girl:p
Click to expand...
My wife is from Jersey also. It’s a huge culture shock for her to be married to someone who knows how to drive. :cool:

Aside from that, although we’re both American, She’s of Polish or German (no one is sure exactly which because her grandparents’ birth records were destroyed during the holocaust, as well as the redrawing of national borders during WWII) Jewish Origin, with some English and a tiny bit of Hispanic from her mother’s side. I’m of Spanish and Italian descent, with an almost negligible amount of Welsh thrown in. Between a Jewish mother and an Italian grandmother, my kids will never know what hit them.
 
Yes, my wife grew up in Los Angeles; i grew up in Orange County 😃

Cali’s will get that one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top