By Sukit Pacayatanakul | Khao Sod News
Ron was born in Brighton Park, Chicago and Sriwong was born in Bangkok. Ron is of Polish descent and Sriwong is a Thai national. They met in a hair salon in Los Angeles. He was her hair dresser.
They met each other in 1976 and finally got married in 1987 in Chicago. They have been happily married ever since.
Ron mentioned that he had dated other women outside his race before he met Sriwong. He was attracted to her hair, her smile, her personality. Ron had no prior marriage and no children of his own. There was no pushback from Ron’s family, even though it was outside their race.
Sriwong was going through a divorce and had a son from her first marriage when she first met Ron. He started courting her after her divorce was completed. They were pretty good friends before they were married.
Ron says he believes that being in an interracial relationship involves mutual give and take. It’s important to view, learn and try to understand both cultures, traditions and viewpoints.
Ron recently retired from his barber school teaching job but works part time at his hair salon which he loves doing, Sriwong has a successful private business.
Ron has taken a few trips to Thailand with his wife which he really enjoyed and Sriwong says she’s just happy being with him here in the states or in Thailand, it doesn’t matter.
There have been no changes in their predispositions because neither of them felt they were predisposed against other races before entering their relationship. They both feel people are wonderful in some ways and problematic in others but that it differs from person to person, not from race to race.
This article is part of the Love Across Colorlines series, a collaboration of 20+ ethnic media outlets looking at interracial marriage in California at a time of rising hate. Visit Love Across Colorlines to see more in the series.
