Indians Marrying Out of Culture

Staying on the topic of Indian arranged marriages, let’s talk about the idea of an Indian individual marrying outside of their culture.

Indian culture is a rich culture heavily rooted in traditions, family values, and principles passed down over generations. The main reason why Indian parents prefer or want another Indian person to marry their kids is that those cultures and traditions are preserved. Simply put, it makes everything a lot easier. They just fit in amongst family members, and they understand the small, so-called responsibilities of the culture.

While most Indian individuals marry in their culture, there are exceptions. There is nothing wrong with this…it has just been a more common occurrence as our times have changed. I will share an example to give you an idea of how this would transpire in an Indian household. Hypothetically speaking, say an Indian guy starts to date a white girl. Now one thing to keep in mind is that I will look at this from the perspective of stricter or more traditional households. I know I talked about the changing dynamic of Indian marriages in my last blog post, but as I mentioned there, not everybody has changed. Now getting to the point, the Indian family will most likely not accept it at first. The first thought that comes into their mind is that if this relationship moves forward, my son will sway away from the culture and not be in sync with the rest of the family.

This is a valid point to consider when marrying out of your culture because, knowingly or unknowingly, you will start to distance yourself from your culture when you are with someone who does not “practice” it. No family wants to see their son/daughter gravitate away from the culture they worked hard to instill in the individual. This is the most predominant reason why many Indian parents do not like the thought of this for their children’s future.

There is also an exception to this. Let’s stick to our example above. Some girls are willing to accept Indian culture and live it daily with their partners. At first Indian parents will most likely say no…but with time, it could work. These girls must put forth effort and patience because Indian culture has an extensive history of practices. But it is not something that cannot be done, and it has been occurring now more than ever.

Overall, out of culture marriages for Indians are starting to become a little more accepted. It is challenging because of the weight that marriage holds and the expectations of the significant other in Indian tradition. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide if they want someone who embraces and grows with the culture or who may deviate them from it.