A Quick Rundown on How to Make Interracial Relationships Work

Today, interracial relationships are becoming more and more common. But dating a foreign partner can still present some challenges, including language and cultural barriers, potentially hindering your relationship.

If you’re inexperienced in this field, you might need some help to better understand your partner and handle your differences wisely.

Read on to learn about the problems you might encounter and tips that can help you make it through your differences.

What Makes Interracial Dating Tricky

The early stages of the relationship can be full of new things to explore, but a lot can change after a few months due to the problems you might encounter.

Some of them include:

1. Not Speaking the Same Language

This is probably one of the biggest issues you might encounter. Even if the two of you can speak English, it can still be difficult to express yourselves in your native language, especially when arguing or discussing important matters.

You might also encounter problems conversing with your partner’s relatives and family members, especially the older ones. Despite being able to converse with your partner in English, conversing with their parents will be a different story.

That can be a huge problem, especially if your foreign partner doesn’t have the time to translate everything while you’re visiting or during gatherings.

Remember that each language has native phrases and expressions that can’t be easily translated into English, resulting in miscommunication.

If you want, you can use direct translation apps or services to make communicating easier. But that’s only a temporary solution. They still won’t help much with verbal communication.

In this case, try learning your partner’s language or teaching them yours, or both.

2. Not Seeing Each Other Often

This is especially true if your partner hasn’t decided to move into the same city as you. You’ll only get the chance to see each other over the holidays.

But that can still be challenging since your partner will also be busy mingling with their family or friends, limiting the time you get to spend together.

Eventually, you’ll realize that going out of your way to travel just so you can see each other will be harder, both time-wise and budget-wise.

For example, you’re from the US, and your partner is from Europe. Flights last long, and plane tickets are expensive, so it’ll take you a few months of planning to spend a couple of weeks together.

5 Tips to Make Your Relationship Work

Your cultural differences are one of the obstacles you’ll have to address to make the relationship work. Here’s what you can do to achieve that goal.

1. Talk to Each Other Whenever Possible

Make time for each other. You can make video calls and send instant messages. If you don’t see each other that often, both methods can play a huge role since it bridges the gap between any communication barriers you might have.

Or, send each other snippets of your daily lives.

If possible, you can also plan regular online dates via Skype or similar apps, where you can have dinner together and discuss each other’s interests. That will give you an alternative means of getting to know each other more.

Putting in the effort to regularly stay in touch with your partner is one way to make the relationship work. And the more effort you put into it while you’re far away from each other, the happier and more comfortable you will be when you’re together.

2. Respect Each Other’s Culture

Dating a foreign partner is also an excellent way to learn more about other traditions and cultures, meaning you’re not a mere visitor in your partner’s homeland.

You’ll also be visiting their family and the people they care about, so you must tread carefully and be mindful of how you act around them.

For example, holding hands might be acceptable in your culture, but it can come off as something offensive in other cultures. Or, you might find it challenging to try the local dishes that are important in their family’s tradition.

Your partner’s country might have customs you might be uncomfortable with, so you’ll have to prepare yourself. If you’re in this situation, be respectful.

3. Be Patient

This often entails understanding how your partner handles the differences between your families, languages, traditions, and culture. The best thing you can do is give everyone ample time to adapt to the new situation and understand your motives.

Over time, the people surrounding you will have a deeper understanding of your differences and similarities.

Being patient will also help you work through various problems.

4. Talk about Your Plans

After being together for a while, you might want to start talking about how you progress as a couple.

Making plans doesn’t have to include moving in together or getting married. If you’ve only been dating for a while, you can start by visiting each other’s families or planning a trip together.

Despite your differences, having plans or mutual goals will help keep the relationship going and remind you why you’re together when times get rough. Your partner will truly appreciate it if you take things seriously.

But remember that implementing your plans can be difficult, so try not to rush and take everything one step at a time.

5. Learn Each Other’s Language

It helps to learn about each other’s languages. And it might be difficult since you have to put in the time, money, and effort, but that’s all a small price to pay.

It’ll make your partner happy and send off the message that you’re serious about being with them. Their family will also appreciate being able to talk to you more.

You also mustn’t stop learning their language whenever you visit their homeland. You can ask them to teach you the basics and help you practice. You can also do the same for them.

Making Things Work Is Worthwhile

Interracial relationships might have more challenges than normal relationships. But you shouldn’t let anything stand in your way.

Making your relationship work will require effort from both parties, but it’ll be rewarding at the end of the day. That’s especially true if you manage to make things work despite your differences.

One last tip: Don’t hesitate to embrace your differences and put in enough effort to make your respective families accept your decision to be in a relationship.