Why are some eastern cultures really strict?

[the flash]

My fiance culture back ground is middle eastern.

Her parents and her family does not approve of me being
with her because of my race is Black and She is not of a muslim
religion she is christian, however my question is Why is it that some
people still tend to be so strict and stick so much to their cultures where they still think in their minds that they live in back in the days where everyone must married or date from their own culture?

I have been having this issue for almost 3 to 4 years that I have been with her. Her mother was the one who raised her, however her mother is so old fashion that even her own and only daughter had to leave because she could not stand the way her mother was and thinks about other people's race and cultures and all that.

While, my finace was living with her mother, her mother used to control her almost every moves everytime she would be late her mother would be calling her, every 15 mintues or so. Her mother would not accept her doing certain things such as if she want to become a singer her mom would say hurtful things to her, or if she would have certain friends her mom would always have something negative to say about her friends.

I was just wondering since her mom has been in America for almost 30 years. Why hasn't she change a little? Why some people does not like change? I mean I think her mother is a really nice person and good person I just cannot figure out why she and her family has always something negative to say about other people just based on their culture, race, or religion and not get a chance to know them.

Her mom still talks to her, however she does not still approve me her being with me and even accept the face that she will be my wive one day.
Well, my finace is Assyrian, but she was
born in the US. Yes, her parents are divorced,
and her parents are both from Iraq.

 

[la_cocktelera]

Whatever country her mom is from, read up on the culture of that country to get a better understanding of it. Learn a few words and phrases of the language. I get the impression that her parents are divorced? They can't be that strict and old-fashioned if they're divorced.

Or is her father deceased?

A little more info, please.

 

[alana]

because they are very religious and religion doesn't go hand in hand with societal freedom. It's not wrong its just their culture. They have more social rules and have more defined concepts of what is acceptable or not unlike western nations.

 

[Dowhanawi]

Culture is a set of societal rules that serve two purposes. One to bind a people together. Two to teach those people how to live together in harmony. I think this is more about culture then race. It is difficult for people of two seperate cultures to live together and raise children together because they way they live are so different. When I was younger I dated outside my race and cultural differences effected the relationships. So I dated other Native people and discovered that the same differences got in the way if the person had assimilated to white "culture". So I dated Native Men who participated and lived culturally and ended up (finally) in a happy successful relationship. I think the fiances Mom is worried how two different ways of living will co-exisist well over time. She is probably worried that her culture will not be passed to her grandchildren. Trivial to you but to those who are cultural this is a graet gift, one they can pass on that may live forever.