In the melting pot of NYC, these mixed-cultural couples think the world of each other

BY Nicole Carter AND Amy Eisinger
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Sunday, May 31st 2009, 4:00 AM

New York City has long been the country's cultural melting pot.

And it's hard to imagine a time when interracial marriage was actually barred in some states.

But on June 10, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court declared in a landmark decision that no state could restrict marriages based on race or culture.

Fast-forward 42 years. These local mixed-cultural couples still face challenges when blending their diverse backgrounds - from how to raise the kids to dealing with extended family.

More often than not though, the joys of being married far outweigh any obstacle.

Caryn Ronis & Rafael Alcaron

For Caryn Ronis, it wasn't exactly love at first sight when she met Rafael Alcaron. "I was a waitress and he was a cook," says Caryn, 51.

"He texted me a lot and kept asking me out and telling me he loved me, which I think might have been the only English he knew at the time."

Rafael's persistence paid off, and on their first date, the couple brought a Spanish-English dictionary and "struggled along," Caryn remembers.

While they dated and worked through the language barrier, Rafael, 61, studied diligently at becoming an American citizen over the next 11 years that they dated.

By the time the two were married on Aug. 30, 2008, Rafael had achieved citizenship. For the wedding, the couple decided to incorporate Caryn's Jewish background by marrying under a chuppah and preparing traditional Jewish wedding foods.

Last summer, they visited Mexico for the first time. Rafael now celebrates Passover with Caryn's family, following along with his own Haggadah in Spanish.

Still, the Queens couple have their days.

"I have to tell you, it's still a struggle," she says. "We don't fight very often because it's so exhausting to argue, it gets really hard.

"We still use that Spanish-American dictionary sometimes. It's work, but I love him. And it's frustrating sometimes, but we take care of each other - and that's the bottom line."

Aliza Diaz & Yehuda Hausman

Rabbinical student Yehuda Hausman knew just how to get Aliza Diaz's attention. Yehuda, 27, met Aliza, 28, at a party in Washington Heights and decided to ask her out. When Aliza, a freelance writer and blogger, didn't respond, Yehuda ended up creating a blog just so he could comment on Aliza's blog. "Basically, he just annoyed me until I liked him," said Aliza.

At the time of their first date, Aliza, who is Dominican, was in the process of converting to Judaism. Though she grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, and was confirmed Catholic, Aliza had developed stronger feelings toward Judaism. Yehuda and Aliza's relationship blossomed quickly, and the couple married on Dec. 16, 2006, during Hanukkah.