Every relationship is, to some extent, a cross-cultural relationship — two people from different families, upbringings, and backgrounds. When those differences are marked — different nationalities, religions, or ethnic backgrounds — the richness and the challenges multiply.
Not as an anthropologist studying something exotic, but as someone who wants to understand what shaped the person they love. Ask questions, learn the history, participate in traditions — not to perform interest but to actually develop it.
Much of what we consider 'normal' or 'obvious' about relationships — who pays, how often families visit, how conflict is handled, what marriage means — is cultural, not universal. Identifying and naming your assumptions prevents them from silently running the show.
Rather than trying to resolve every cultural difference, build a third culture — one that's yours as a couple. Take the elements from both backgrounds that you both value, negotiate the ones that conflict, and create traditions that are new to both of you.
If one partner's family or community holds prejudice toward the other's background, both partners need to take that seriously. The partner whose family is the source of the problem has the responsibility to address it directly.
Your partner is an individual, not a representative of their culture. Expecting them to explain or defend cultural practices, or assuming their preferences based on their background, reduces them. Get to know the person, not the category.