Sefardic and Ashkenazic Customs

The differences are a natural result of the dispersion of the Jewish community. Sefarad is actually Hebrew for Spain — after the Spanish expulsion in the late 15th century, many of those Jews moved to North Africa and the Middle East, and today Jews of those communities are called “Sephardi.” Ashkenaz is Hebrew for Germany, and Ashkenazic Jews are those from Europe (including Asian Russia).
Differences in custom arose naturally, because each community followed the rulings of its authoritative rabbis. Sometimes the circumstances were clearly different: on Passover, Ashkenazic communities do not eat beans or rice because it was considered too likely that wheat or another forbidden grain would become mixed with them during transportation or sale, or because a person could simply become confused. In more temperate climates neither of these was likely, and therefore Sephardic Jews do eat rice and beans on Passover.
Neither custom is wrong, but they are different, and one should generally follow the customs and practices of one’s father. For this reason, it really isn’t appropriate to “switch!”