Interracial Marriage

Genetically speaking, there are no physical impediments to interracial marriage. Therefore factors that help or hinder the success of mixed marriages as compared to within-group-marriages are not genetic, but are taught and learned by individuals living in a community. Groups and individuals "speak" through implied and usually unwritten statements that become cultural pressures--"shoulds" and "should nots"--that can affect the potential partners' decisions before marriage and the quality of marriage afterwards. When people arrive …

…speaks of the "normal" height of a person, it could mean about 5 feet 10 inches. But for a Japanese, "normal" may mean something else. Normal number of meals a day may refer to three in one culture, two in another. Dependency of a wife may be a virtue in one culture, while frowned upon in another. Other potentially problematic differences include relationships with parents and in-laws, decision-making between partners, and the rearing and discipline of children.