IN any marriage there are bound to be problems. We can talk on this topic until the cows come home and still there will be marriages that end in divorce. Not necessarily in a mixed marriage only. Therefore, citing it as the cause of most cases for divorce is uncalled for. Compromise and emulate the good in every culture and be steadfast in your own faith. That, to me, is one way to sustain a mixed marriage.

If a survey is conducted on mixed marriages, I am sure there will be many success stories. I have often told my children and grandchildren to be proud of who they are because being of mixed parentage is something beautiful. Many a time people have stopped and stared at my children and asked them where they come from, only to be proudly told, “I am Malaysian, and I was born in Penang.” “But you look so different!” will be the reply.

This is what happens to someone who is half-Chinese and half-Portuguese. Now the same thing is happening to my grandchildren who happen to have an Indian father. Isn’t this what 1Malaysia is all about? When any marriage is on the rocks, people refuse to look at any good that has come out of it or could have come out of it. It is the norm in today’s world.

The ones who suffer are the children and those who love them. This is another scourge that will haunt not only Malaysians but people everywhere. To say that children of mixed marriages do face problems is being a little specific because divorce does not recognise race or religion.

There could be genuine cases of mixed marriages that end in divorce and there could also be for same race marriages that break down. Reasons are aplenty. So let’s stop pointing fingers when failure occurs. Preparation, planning, counselling, whatever it takes to help prevent break-ups is worth a try. To those of mixed parentage, be proud of who you are.