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Articles
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Mail Order Brides Explained
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Daniel DeLa Cruz
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The mail order bride phenomenon commonly taking place today is by no means a new one. It's a known fact that the early settlers of the American continent, the majority of whom were men, were not able to find brides in the new lands they found themselves in. Therefore, they had to turn to Europe with the expectation of securing a female partner, and bride. Many years later, during the World War 2, American GIs started writing love letters to foreign women they had never met with the same expectation in mind. Japanese and Chinese Immigrants of the 20th century sought foreign brides from their homelands because the majority of the Immigrants that arrived in the United States from those countries were men. Arranged marriages in this fashion have been carried out for thousands of years and they continue to be a common way for people to be married.
Historically, mail-order brides were women who listed themselves in catalogs and were selected by men for marriage. Sometimes, the men and women involved were citizens of different countries. This was the case with women from European countries moving to the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In our modern world, mail-order brides hail from developing countries and to lesser degree nations like Japan, and other developed nations. The great majority of these women are from Southeast Asia including the Philippines, countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as Latin America. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, large numbers of eastern European women advertised themselves in such a way; primarily being from Russia, Ukraine and Moldova. Even developed nations like Japan, Canada, and Sweden have large amounts of outgoing mail order brides. In the past, international marriage agencies allowed women to sign up to be listed in picture magazines; now the Internet has largely changed this method with online profiles and faster communication methods. Nations that often receive mail-order brides are the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, and Australia
In today's modern world, mail-order bride is a label applied to a woman who publishes her intent to marry someone from another country. In most cases these women are located in developing countries while the men who are seeking a foreign woman are located in the more developed countries.
The Real Truth About Mail Order Brides:
The real truth about mail order brides and cross cultural relationships is that they work. Various studies and statistics have pointed out that cross cultural marriages and relationships last longer then domestic ones. Furthermore, the women of these less developed cultures tend to be more family oriented, nurturing, and traditional. These are qualities that are harder to come by in the cultures of the wealthiest developed countries. The men from these countries are often seeking a long term partner, who can take on the pivotal motherly role that is so important within the family structure. Many times these men find that these qualities are more pronounced with mail order brides.
At the same time these mail order brides often come from male dominated cultures. Having experienced the opposite end of the spectrum, to what Western men of the developed nations experience, these foreign ladies appreciate the qualities of the men from the more developed countries including their education, culture, dedication, and language.
It's no surprise that mail order bride sites are popping up everywhere, and that marriages between American, Australian, Canadian and English men and mail order brides is on the rise as well. This is a trend that is set to continue and as the Internet breaks communications barriers, and distances between foreign women and American men. As time does on the term mail order bride should loose it's negative stigma and will soon be seen in a positive light.
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Daniel DeLa Cruz
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