International Marriages
With the spread of the Internet and its descendant — social media — throughout the world, international marriages are no longer impossible or extraordinary. In this short essay, I am going to examine the advantages and disadvantages of such marriages.
Inevitably, the very first thing you may encounter is cultural differences. At first, these varieties can be unusually exciting, and you may learn plenty of amazing things. Nonetheless, this excitement may last only until you experience your first culture shock. From then on, you’ll look at the similarities and differences through a new lens.
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Not surprisingly, the immigrant spouse may experience invaluable opportunities in the target country. The new environment will probably bring new chances that they wouldn’t have had in their own community. However, they may also lack a sense of belonging to their new homeland, especially if homesickness grows stronger over time.
Expectedly, the children of international marriages are likely to be brought up bilingual. Nevertheless, as they say, every rose has its thorn — bilingual children may suffer from an identity crisis, not knowing to which nation or culture they belong.
Suppose your significant other speaks a different language. Sometimes, you may emotionally need to express your feelings in your mother tongue, either because the concept doesn’t exist in the second language or because you simply don’t know how to speak your mind and heart in the target language. This can often happen among eastern and western spouses.
While living in a new country can be absolutely sensational, one still needs to visit their homeland now and then. Considering the cost and duration of such trips, traveling may be more difficult than it seems. For instance, Mr. Hussaini, a distant relative of mine who has been living in the US for about fifty years now, has had the chance to travel to Iran only a couple of times.
In conclusion, international marriages are not something to accept or refuse abruptly. They have their pros and cons, and ultimately, it is a personal decision that varies from person to person.
