7 factors to consider before having an inter ethnic marriage

Marriage is a beautiful thing that is celebrated uniquely within one ethnic tribe to another all over the world. There are different factors that is expedient to be considered when going into a marriage especially an inter ethnic marriage in order to ensure a successful home. 

Marrying from another ethnic tribe different from yours can be likened to a coin with two sides. The advantages of inter ethnic marriage include cultural tolerance, fostering of unity, peaceful coexistence, and so on while the disadvantages include conflicting traditions, language barrier, intolerance, and so on.  

If you have the intention of having a successful  inter ethnic marriage, there are certain factors to consider before making this decision and discussed in this article are some of the factors.  

1. Family consent and acceptance  

The importance of family consent and acceptance is very important for the success of any marriage. In making the choice of having an inter ethnic marriage, it is important to know if your family and that of your intending spouse are open to the idea of an inter ethnic marriage and if they are not, is there a possibility of making them have a change of mind. 

 Even if the success of your marriage is mainly dependent on you and your spouse, the role families play is not one that can be overlooked and thus the importance of family consent and acceptance as a major factor to consider before going ahead with the idea of an inter ethnic marriage.  

2. Differences in cultural background 

Individuals from different ethnic groups surely have different cultures, customs, beliefs, way of life, thought patterns and so on and this can bring about some friction if not carefully handled.  

Before the decision of an inter ethnic marriage is made, the individuals involved must think through the differences in culture and the frictions it can bring about if not carefully handled. 

3. Family rites 

In some ethnic groups, there are certain rites that must be performed while for other tribes these rites are not acceptable. Every individual who has the intention of going into an inter ethnic marriage must first find out the different rites in their own family and that of the intending spouse and see if they can cope with such rites. This is in order to avoid clash of interest between the two families.  

4. Need for sacrifices or compromise  

Sacrifices and compromise are important in marriages especially in inter ethnic marriages. Inter ethnic marriages calls for a greater level of sacrifices and compromise from both parties involved. For instance, during the naming ceremony of a child born into an inter ethnic marriage, the family of the wife may need to make more sacrifice especially if the child is the first child.  

5. Language barrier  

Communication is key in every marriage, thus another important factor to consider before going into an inter ethnic marriage is the language barrier that will ensue between the two parties except in a case where one of the individuals understands the language of the other well. 

The use of English language has been able to mediate this issue but incases where the parties are not educated or where they have family members who are not educated, communication becomes a great issue because of the language barrier.  

Also, in cases where the marriage works out , the children may also experience slight difficulties as they may be confused on which of the language to learn.  

6. Choice of food 

The choice of food is another factor to consider in an inter ethnic marriage. Different ethnic groups have food choices and there are certain foods that are specific to each tribe. 

Individuals interested in inter ethnic marriages must consider the conflict that may arise in the home as a result of differences in choice of food and must be able to strike a balance or come to a compromise before going ahead with the marriage.  

7. Finance 

To a large  extent, inter ethnic marriages are more expensive when compared with intra ethnic marriages. This is mostly evident during the wedding ceremony.  There are some cultures in which the marriage rites demanded when giving out a female child is very outrageous especially to an outsider.   

So, if you’re currently in a relationship with a person from another tribe especially as a guy, you need to consider if you have the financial capacity to fund such marriage.  

Love they say conquers all , inter ethnic differences inclusive. A great percentage of individuals have and are successfully running an inter ethnic marriage, thus, if you take your time to deliberately consider all the above factors and others, an inter ethnic marriage would not be a problem if that is the way you choose to go. 

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