Relationship torn between love and tradition

When I fell in love with an American student two years ago while studying in the US, I never expected it would be so hard. You probably don't know how traditional some parts of this country are.

My mom was strongly against our relationship simply because he was an American. She replied to my e-mail saying that if I kept on dating him, she would never consider me as her own daughter. Before that, she even hadn't asked his name or anything about him. My boyfriend said jokingly that it was the first time he felt prejudice because of his nationality.

I don't blame my mom for saying this because I know how much courage and determination she had to gather to say those cruel words to me, but I was surprised how terrible an intercultural relationship looked for the older generation. However, the case is very different from place to place in China.