I'm new to this website. I came across it while researching Yoruba culture. My boy friend is Nigerian, Yoruba. We have been together for a year. I have not yet met his family, well I have met his sister and one cousin, but the reason that I have not met them could be because they are not to happy with the idea of he and I dating. I want to make a good impression on them and want for them to feel that I respect them and want to learn their culture.
   Well let me give a little background to our relationship. We started out as friends, we met through our job. We then started going to church together and just really developing a good relationship. Now a year in we are both very in love with each other, have a strong relationship built around God and can both see this heading towards marriage. Now the problem seems to be that we are from different cultures. I'm American and he Nigerian, but being American isn't the only problem for me, I'm also white. I haven't met his parents yet, but would love to and he wants them to met me. They feel that I'm going to pull him away from his family and culture and everything that he believes. I can't see myself ever doing that. I love his culture and everything about him. I am a big family person, family is so important to me so having his would only be making mine bigger. I just don't know how to help him in telling his parents, well he has told them, but he doesn't know how to help them understand how he feels. And I'm not sure if there is anything that I can do and still show respect for them. I haven't ever talked to them, but would it be disrespectful if I mailed them a letter? I don't want to step out of line when it comes to his family. I have so much respect for his parents because they have raised such wonderful children. And the Man my boyfriend is, is all do to such wonderful parents. So I just wanted to get some advice.  Should I just continue praying and having faith that God can change hearts and that be all. Or is it ok for me to send them a letter so they in a way they get a feel for who I am and maybe just understand a little more about me. Show that their son and I are spiritually on the same page and as for their culture how much I'm willing to learn and practice. So if anyone has some advice for me that would be wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and respond to it.

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