Joseph Jean Rousseau is from Haiti and Lindy Berry is from Tetonia, Idaho. They met in the BYU-Idaho 42nd Ward under Bishop Gary Marshall.

Rousseau proposed in July and they were married Dec. 30, 2005, in the Idaho Falls Temple.

“One-quarter of Americans (26 percent) agree with the statement, ‘Marriages between blacks and whites are not a good idea.’ About 2.3 percent of marriages are between people of different races,” according to statistics found at www.publicagenda.com.

“The society should know that as there is a melting pot [in America], on this campus there will be interracial marriages,” Rousseau said. 

Both Berry’s and Rousseau’s parents had faith they were making the right choice in getting married. Rousseau’s parents were mostly concerned that he was not in his own country.

“Culture in my family is very important, but everyone is free to choose whatever they want,” Rousseau said.

Berry and Rousseau feel they have a great relationship by appreciating their different cultures. This brings them closer together and in return will benefit their children.

“As a matter of fact, they call it interracial marriage. It could be interracial marriage if you came from the same country because everyone is different and was raised in a different environment and background,” Berry said.

Berry grew up in a small town where there were not many people from other cultures. This was one of her concerns. But her biggest concern was the language barrier. She was afraid of not being able to fully communicate with Rousseau’s family.

She is now learning the national Haiti language, Creole.

“It makes it easier to communicate with his family and to make that connection closer as we talk in our own and each other’s languages,” Berry said.

Rousseau had the impression Americans believed anyone who came to America to study only had intentions to marry an American because they wanted citizenship.

“My family sent me here to get a higher education in my life, to help me support my family and to help those around me,” he said.

What was difficult for Rousseau was telling his family he was dating an American because he was the first in his family to do so.

Rousseau is the youngest child in his family and the first to marry outside of his race and culture.

After finishing their last two years of school here, Rousseau would like to enter a master’s program, but they hope to return to Haiti where Rousseau would like to start a recycling company.

“We are not worried about culture or language; if anything our different cultures and language makes life more interesting and fun,” Rousseau said.