Passing the Peace: Embracing Multiculturalism in our Black Christian and Punjabi Sikh Marriage

In this commentary, two authors (Simran and Jarrod, a Punjabi Sikh American woman and African American Christian man) speak of their family’s interfaith and interracial experiences and their individual and coupled efforts. The title Pass the Peace refers to how they respond to prejudice against their intercultural marriage. Authors relay a basic understanding of the cultures in which they were raised, including the family resistance and commonalities they experienced as they moved toward an interracial and interfaith union, deviating from the norm. Each author describes moments of discord and serenity and surfaces ways in which embracing multiculturalism in their relationship has supported healing within and across family. Highlights A biracial couple considers the American dream given perceptions of their marriage as a recipe for success/disaster. A Sikh American woman and Christian African American man meet in at a university cultural center. Afro-Asian interfaith couple’s story of healing adult mother-child relationships as told from partner perspectives. Highlights importance of Black Churches and Sikh Gurdwaras in the US serving as a sanctuary from racism for emerging adults.