The role of connection to the native culture in intercultural marriages: Perceptions of Puerto Rican women

This dissertation investigates the migration experience of Puerto Rican women, their connection to the native culture and their perceptions of the role of this connection in their intercultural marriages. Critical issues such as; the degree and quality of involvement that is maintained with one\u27s culture and heritage, and the ways of responding to, and dealing with, a second culture emerge upon migration. Intercultural marriage (Rohrlich, 1988), the marriage where partners are of differing ethnic origins, has been associated with the process of second culture acquisition. It has been visualized as an indicator of minority assimilation and weakening of the cohesion of an ethnic group (Murguia, 1982). Marrying outside one\u27s ethnic group could imply a loss of connection to the native culture, which encourages the person to move more rapidly toward the majority culture. Using a qualitative-descriptive design, data was gathered through in-depth interviews with five interculturally married migrant Puerto Rican women. Data from this study revealed that these women see themselves as competent, assertive, mature, and strong women who are culturally different from their North American counterparts. The women indicated that they constantly draw coping strategies and behaviors from two different cultural contexts (Puerto Rican/North American) and that they feel effective and competent within the majority culture because they have achieved a sense of internal balance where decision making and survival strategies are bicultural. Nevertheless, they feel restrained when they express some feelings and ideas in the presence of North Americans. They also sustain a sense of not belonging in the American culture. Women indicated that they need to feel connected in one way or another to their primary culture. Besides other aspects of connection to the Puerto Rican culture; e.g. the use of Spanish, perpetuation of familism, maintenance of friendships with compatriots, listening and dancing to Hispanic music, and cooking Puerto Rican food, some women reported a metaphysical dimension of connection. Suggested areas of disconnection from the primary culture were related to rebellion towards values that perpetuate parental and male preponderance. Findings indicated that women validate their opposition to these values (disconnection) within the context of their intercultural marriages. The use of some nonverbal behaviors, the relationship with the in-laws, different views in parenting, time and financial planning emerged as areas of marital conflict. Implications for research and practice were discussed