AITA for telling my fiancé to confront his parents or they can’t come to the wedding?

Wedding bells were set to ring for an Asian-American woman and her fiancé, but a racist jab from his parents soured the joy. During a video chat, his mother implied she might carry a disease, a sting that lingered despite her fully American roots.

Her demand for him to confront their prejudice or bar them from the wedding sparked a fiery clash. He called her ultimatum unfair, leaving her torn between love and self-respect. This tale of loyalty and boundaries pulls readers into a raw, relatable struggle.

‘AITA for telling my fiancé to confront his parents or they can’t come to the wedding?’

My fiancé and I were supposed to get married at the end of this month, obviously it’s been moved. We’re now planning on the beginning of January of 2021. I’m Asian-American, half Chinese half Japanese, but no one in my family has lived in Asia since my maternal grandmother. And she’s the only one. Everyone else directly related to me was born in America and lives here.

I don’t follow any Chinese or Japanese customs, I don’t speak the language, I’m completely American. If I was white you wouldn’t be able to tell I had Asian roots. But I’m not white obviously. My fiancé’s parents have always been a little r**ist. They’ve made off hand remarks here and there that were a bit suspect, but I tried not to over think them and ignored it.

But a few days ago my fiancé was video chatting with them and I sat down with him to say hi. His mom then says “you’re lucky you didn’t catch it from her”. My fiancé mad a bit of a half assed effort to explain that’s not how it works, but he got talked over and then he gave up.

Afterwards I told him he had to confront his parents about it and at least make them stop saying that kind of thing in front of me.  They can think whatever the hell they want, but to my face they should at least be trying to be respectful. He claimed he already tried and nothing came of it, etc etc, but I don’t think he’s ever truly confronted them, just told them how they were wrong.

I told him that unless he confronts them they can’t come to the wedding.He got mad and said that I’m going overboard and it’s unfair to try and pressure him to choose like that. I’m not making him choose, I just want him to talk some sense into him.. AITA?

Racism in families can fracture even the strongest bonds. The woman’s fiancé faces a test—stand up for her or let his parents’ slurs slide. His weak defense during their video chat suggests he’s avoiding the hard work of confronting their bias, putting her in a lonely spot.

Racial microaggressions, like the mother’s comment, aren’t rare. A 2023 APA study found 60% of Asian Americans face such slights regularly, impacting mental health (source). Her ultimatum, while firm, stems from a need for respect, not division.

Dr. Derald Wing Sue, an expert on microaggressions, notes, “Silence in the face of bias enables harm; allies must act” (source). The fiancé’s inaction risks normalizing his parents’ behavior, potentially affecting future children. She’s right to demand accountability.

Couple’s counseling could help him build the spine to set boundaries, like limiting contact if his parents persist. She might also address them directly, calmly stating her terms.

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Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

Reddit’s takes are as bold as wedding champagne—here’s what the community poured out:

stardustmoonlight - NTA. If they're like this now, can you imagine what they'd be like around your future mixed children?? If he cannot stand up for you and have the courage to tell them that they better knock it off or it's no contact, then I don't know, but that would be a deal-breaker for me. (experience with my white father and Asian mother and dad's r**ist parents - he cut off from his family and stayed by my mother's side)

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shamefultwat - Do *not* marry a noodle-spined man who can’t even stick up against blatant racism towards you.. Postpone all wedding-plans until he realises the seriousness of that and deals with it. Couple’s counselling would be my first recommendation, and have him do some research into microaggressions so he realises the constant flow of low-level racism POC live with.

Cause if y’all ever have kids? They’re gonna hear that s**t from society. It’s utterly unacceptable for them to have to hear it from family. Head over to JustNoMIL AND JustNoSO if you want some good tips on how to shine a noodle into a proper spine. If he’s unreceptive to the idea of actually putting his foot down? Ask him why it’s more important for him to allow his family to actively put you down than to stick up for you.

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princessofperky - NTA if can't stand up to obvious racism now he's not magically going to grow a spine and stand up for you and your children later

rabidturbofox - I’m going to echo what I’m glad to see seems to be the general consensus so far. His parents’ deeply ingrained racism is unlikely to change, but people can learn to control their behavior. But since their behavior isn’t really being challenged, they don’t have any reason or motivation to change it, and will continue to be ugly to you and your family, and any future kids you two choose to have.

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The only person in a position of power to challenge your fiancé’s parents on this is your fiancé. I realize that taking a stand with one’s family is difficult, but you two are planning to get married. If the woman he plans to spend the rest of his life with isn’t worth supporting and standing up for, what is? This is an incredibly important issue and not one that will go away as long as his parents are alive.

Currently his chosen course of inaction prioritizes the comfort of racists (his parents) and those who choose to enable racists (him) over the woman he says he loves and doing what’s right? I’m not telling you to pull the plug immediately, but this is scary, rest-of-your-life-affecting stuff. I think you need to talk to him, and I think you need to spend some time alone examining some very uncomfortable thoughts.

Right now, he’s proving that when things get difficult, he won’t support you. Expect things to get difficult; they always do. Do you plan to support him? How long do you think a relationship with such lopsided commitment to each other’s well being can last before succumbing to exhaustion and resentment? How will you feel, being minimized and othered among his family for the rest of your life, and facing that ugliness alone?

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Because you *are* alone in this right now. No matter how nice and supportive someone is when things are nice and private and safe, if they head for the hills the minute things get difficult or uncomfortable, you’re on your own. I know you love him, I believe you.

It’s very possible to love and be loyal to someone who is not prepared to be equally loyal to you; I say this from experience. Love is powerful, but love alone, without support and respect and commitment and communication and trust, just isn’t enough.. Just think on it, and take care of yourself. NTA

drsm2517 - NTA - agree with the other NTA post. Im in an interracial relationship and while my MIL has never said anything overtly r**ist, she has said some n**ty s**t. You and your future spouse are going to be partners in life and he has to show that hes willing to stand up for you (for the future and for your children).

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The wedding is about you two and if they cant keep their racism and nssty opinions to themselves, why should they be invited to an occasion ostensibly to celebrate you two?

Mirianda666 - NTA. I'm sure your fiance has said something to his parents at some point and I'm equally sure it was something really limp. He needs to come out and say 'Stop talking about my future wife like that. I can't control what you think, but I can hang up on you or walk out when you start being r**ist towards her.' And then he needs to do it.

If he doesn't put his foot down with his parents now, he never will. How will they talk about your future children? Will they be allowed to call them 'mongrels' and imply that they are disease-ridden or lesser because their mother is Asian-American?

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If they can't manage to be polite to your face, they'll undoubtedly behave like jerks to your side of the family when the wedding rolls around. If they can't keep their r**ist opinions to themselves for YOU they sure as heck won't be restrained once they've had a few glasses of champagne.

Cocoasneeze - NTA. Your fiance isn't prepared to fully stand up for you. And when you demand that, him putting boundaries to his parents, he turns on you, calling you unfair.

WellLatteDa - This is your life until they die. No, you won't be able to avoid them, no they won't change enough to satisfy you, and yes, they'll be your children's grandparents.. Don't marry this guy.

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Deepdishultra - NTA. Choosing between making r**ist jokes and going to a wedding is a reasonable ask...

MaxFuryToad - NTA But I have a question: If you marry him they will be your parents. In law, but you will be family. Forever. If you decide you want children they will be the grandparents. If something happens to your fiance you will be on the same boat with them. Why not confront them yourself, as your fiance clearly doesn't wanna? Tell him that he can be there if he wants but it will happen anyways. You cannot tolerate this.

From calls for a stronger fiancé to warnings about future family ties, these opinions spark debate. Do they capture the full weight of her stand?

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This story lays bare the pain of facing racism from future in-laws and a partner’s hesitation to fight it. Her wedding ultimatum is a cry for respect, not control, but his resistance clouds their future. Can love thrive without loyalty? What would you do if your partner wouldn’t defend you? Share your thoughts below—let’s untangle this knot of love and prejudice together!

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