ABSTRACT
South Asian Americans represent a unique subset of Asian Americans that share the vast continent of Asia. This chapter explores approaches to working with South Asian American marriages and dating in therapy based upon existing research and clinical experiences to give the reader an understanding of general approaches to marriage and dating in the South Asian community. It explores dating in the diaspora as well as intercultural exchanges in modernizing, remixing, and playing with long-held cultural traditions and values. The idea of arranged marriage tends to elicit a broad range of reactions, often dependent upon one's knowledge of or adherence to traditional South Asian values, customs, and level of acculturation. Marital satisfaction is a vital factor in maintaining marriages, and is also linked with overall life satisfaction and health regardless of marital type. Dowry refers to property or monetary value brought into a marriage from the wife's side, often given by parents of the bride.
