Destined For Los Angeles
Interracial and Intercultural Marriage: Indian Woman and Greek American Man
About
Meet Reena & Thane! Reena is Indian, and she was born in Chicago, IL, and raised in India. Her husband, Thane, is Greek American, and he was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
How They Met
Thane moved to Los Angeles, California, to do film, and Renee moved to Los Angeles, California, to get her Master’s degree at USC. Thane was Renee’s friend’s roommate (and childhood friend), so they all started hanging out. They were friends for about six months before they started dating.
How Long Have They Been Together
Reena and Thane have been together for nearly ten years this April and married for five.Â
How Did Reena Tell Her Parents About Thane
Reena kept the fact that she was dating Thane a secret for a while. She wanted to make sure it was serious before telling her parents. Dating isn’t something that her family was familiar with; instead, Reena’s parents consider it a path towards marriage. Luckily, when she was at the “marriage” point, her mom found out from a family friend, and it all revealed itself.Â
What Happened When Thane Finally Met Reena’s Parents
Thane and Reena had been dating for about four years when he finally met her parents. It was a bit awkward (lots of silences, very formal), but Reena believes everyone was trying their hardest. It was uncharted territory for everyone (meeting a boyfriend), and so it was the best it could have been. Â
In hindsight, Reena spent years worrying that her parents would disapprove of her interracial relationship. Yet, in the end, they approved, and most of her concerns were needless. Many times (sadly not always), kids project issues on their parents that are no longer true. Your parents grow and learn, just like you do. Today Reena’s parents love Thane so much, and they feel like he’s their son. And she couldn’t be more grateful for their support.Â
What Hurdles Have They Encountered And Overcome
Initially when Reena and Thane were dating, they were convinced it “couldn’t go anywhere” because they were an interracial couple. They knew that it was frowned upon to marry someone from another culture (particularly for South Asians). Reena grew up believing that the “differences” between couples in interracial marriages were too significant to overcome. But over time, it became hard to ignore how perfect they were for each other. Also, once they actually looked at their differences, they realized they weren’t that different. Thane and Reena have the same priorities, similar ambitions. Furthermore, they are both from big families and value their creativity.Â
What Kind Of Wedding(s) Did Thane And Reena Have
Thane and Reena had two big traditional weddings. Their first one was in Udaipur, India, and it was a true Rajasthani affair. The second wedding was in Houston, TX, and it was all Greek. It was great because both of their cultures love dancing, drinking, and eating.
Their Advice For Other Couples
1. Try not to let what other people think or may think about your relationship get in your way. Focus on each other and your relationship. If it works, it works.Â
2. Address the fundamental questions about how you want to lead your life together before the issue arises. For example, Reena is vegetarian, but Thane is not, so they had to decide how they would make food in the house. Collectively they are both happy and comfortable with what they settled on.
3. Focus on your similarities. Usually, there is more than you realize.
4. Enjoy the differences in each others’ cultures. Reena loves learning Greek words and visiting Greece, and Thane enjoys participating in her family’s customs. Unequivocally, it makes their life so much richer.
5. Make sure both partners feel heard in the relationship.
What They Love About Being In An Interracial And Intercultural Marriage
Thane and Reena love that they are continually learning new things about each other’s families and traditions, making their lives adventurous and exciting.Â
What Else They Want To Share With Others
Life is short, love is love, and be who you want to be with. That goes with interracial marriages and same-sex marriages as well. There is always someone ready to criticize you but you know what makes you happy, so follow that!
What did you think of Reena and Thanes’ story? Reena is also a phenomenal children’s book author and Hindi teacher. Check out her books, “My First Hindi Words” on Amazon and find out more about her and teaching your kids Hindi, here!
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