With worldwide travel becoming much more affordable and a greater movement of people looking for work it has become much more likely that you will date someone from another country. A cross-cultural relationship can be a truly amazing experience. There is so much to learn and so much to explore, it is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons. However, it’s not always easy to get beyond the first few dates because of differences in language and culture & religion. Here are a few tips to make sure your new relationship gets over those initial hurdles.

Language
One of the main causes of conflict in a relationship, especially a new one, is the language differences. Miscommunication is an issue at the best of times but if you don’t both speak the same language there is a lot more potential for misunderstanding. If you are both speaking in a third language this can also be difficult because one partner is usually more fluent than the other.

Whatever language you do decide to converse in, the key is to be as patient as possible. Always make sure you speak clearly and remember not to speak too fast. In addition, mumbling, making jokes or using phrases that only a native would understand will all put pressure on your relationship. Over time you will both improve your language skills but in the beginning it is very important to be careful what you say and how you say it.

On the other hand, if your partner does speak a different language it can be a great opportunity for you. Learning another language has many benefits including improving your mind (and your CV!) but there is nothing better than to hear ‘I love you’ in your native tongue.

Cultural and religious differences
You may find that your new partner comes from a country with very strong traditions and significant cultural differences from your own. Try to learn as much as you can about where you partner is from, what the culture is like there and in particular what their religious beliefs are.

It can be quite surprising what is considered acceptable or not in another culture, especially where women are concerned. Potential causes of conflict could be what you can wear, what you can say and to whom, whether or not you can go places on your own and what is considered to be your role in the household. Some cultures are strict and their traditions can be jarring if you come from a liberal country.

To avoid or at least minimise potential problems, it is worth learning as much as possible about their culture as soon as possible. Be very careful with what you say and how you act at the start of the relationship. Don’t change who you are but be a little cautious until you know what might cause offence and what is acceptable.

In both instances flare-ups are usually accidental. One of you may have done or said something without thinking or without even realising it might cause offence. When this occurs just take a step back, think before you start speaking and just remember that it probably wasn’t done on purpose. Not many people want to start an argument or want to antagonise their partner so try to be as understanding as possible and try to resolve the problem before the situation deteriorates.

Cross-cultural dating is a great opportunity to expand your learning. Your new partner can teach you so much about his or her country, culture, language, traditions and religion. If you can overcome these first few problems, it is a great chance to learn more about the world we all live in.

Relationships Culture, Interracial, Long Distance Relationship

With every type of niche now being filled by new online dating services, there are many sites appearing that offer online communities and matchmaking services for ethnic groups such as black people, Asians or Hispanics. So what’s the point of these dating services for specific racial groups, and do they offer you anything more than conventional personals sites such as Match.com or eHarmony?

Well it all depends on what expectations you have. These sites are ideal if you are the type of person who knows exactly what you are looking for, and you have a strong preference for meeting people of the same cultural background. This is not such a bad thing – relationship experts have long said that we are drawn to people who are similar to us, and all things being equal, such relationships have a better chance of success than ones of couples from different cultural backgrounds.

Women have been found to have a significantly stronger preference for relationships with men from the same racial background, while men appear to be less fussy about cultural roots. Studies of speed daters found that women were much more likely to ‘turn-down’ men of different racial backgrounds than men of the same race as themselves. This was found to be true for women of various racial backgrounds.

While most dating websites offer some kind filtering system that lets members find other members of a certain ethnic origin, many niche sites have sprung up recently to cater specifically to certain ethnic communities. The larger ethnic sites, such as BlackSingles.com are doing extremely well, and are now among the most visited dating sites in the US.

If you are considering using an “ethnically themed” site it is always best to choose one with a reasonably large membership since the number of members in some of the niche sites can be relatively low.

While most members of such sites are from the same cultural background, it’s worth remembering that such sites usually welcome members of all races and colors.

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When it comes to dating, you need to look around for the right person. In fact, you might have certain ideas in your head as to just who the ‘perfect’ person is. And there used to be a time when people limited themselves by only dating from the same race. But times they are a changing. According to recent online dating website surveys, it turns out that more Americans than ever are dating across racial and religious lines.

Why is this?

While it might not seem like it, the U.S. population is shrinking in terms of the dating pool – meaning that there are fewer people for everyone to choose from when it comes to dating. And with those diminished numbers, people are realizing that they might be hurting their chances of finding love by limiting the race of those that they date.

Another reason? It seems that the younger generations are more prone to experimenting when they date (not like that). They want to try new things when they’re young to see what all the fuss is about or maybe to defy some parental figure that’s criticized their behavior.

Dating services have not been slow to take up on this trend, for example White Women, Black Men, Interracial Cupid and Interracial Match offer dating and support forums for interracial relationships.

But hopefully that’s not the only reason to date!

America is becoming the melting pot that many believed it could be, and no other place showcases this trend more than online dating. Because you’re able to reach so many more people, why not increase your chances exponentially of finding something with similar tastes by focusing on the person and not just their race?

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