Intercultural Marriage and Family

Intercultural marriage is defined as the union between two people of different cultural backgrounds, which may or may not include differences in race, ethnicity, religion, and language. In this regard, the term culture is used to indicate meanings, beliefs, and traditions that are shared by a group as a result of a common history and experiences. Because racial differences are considered cultural differences in some societies, the term intercultural marriage has been applied to denote racially mixed couples. However, culture is more broadly defined and racial differences do not equate with cultural differences. In addition, because intercultural families combine members of more than one cultural group, the children share a bicultural or multicultural heritage. This entry addresses historical and legal influences on intercultural marriage, current ...