Full Citation
Title: Mixed Unions: Interethnic and Interracial Relationships in an Era of Immigration
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2007
ISBN:
ISSN:
DOI:
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID:
Abstract: This study was centrally concerned with the role of immigration and ethnicity within discussions of interracial marriages. One of the goals was to examine the relationship between assimilation and intermarriage. Unlike many studies on intermarriage that focus on black-white couples, this study differed in three important ways: 1) I focused on immigrants from Asia and Latin America and their U.S.-born children, 2) I made a key distinction between interethnic and interracial relationships, and 3) I included not only married couples, but also cohabiting and dating couples. The questions that this research addressed were: Who enters into mixed relationships and why?, and 2) What is the role of mixed relationships in the overall processes of assimilation (often described as segmented or straight-line approaches)? I used the Current Population Survey, 2003-2006, and the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study, composed of survey questionnaires and 134 in-depth interviews. While race was important for these children of immigrants, ethnicity was a more important factor. The most common ways in which the respondents expressed cultural differences was in the form of language and religion. Thus, the lived experience of being in an interethnic versus an interracial relationship was different. Over time males and females were more likely to find themselves in coethnic relationships as they imagined a future of marriage and the role that extended family would play. These young adults talked about parental prejudices, language, religion, and other cultural clashes as the major factors they took into account. There were many females, however, who did not follow this pattern because of perceptions of patriarchy. They avoided coethnic relationships because they wanted a partner who would think of them as an equal rather than subordinates in a patriarchal relationship. Finally, in terms of assimilation, I argue that segmented paths of assimilation more closely represent the experiences of the respondents. The couples are part of institutions, such as higher educational institutions, are getting good jobs, and are becoming involved in politics and voting; yet they still have preferences for being with certain types of peoples when it comes to intimate relationships.
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Morgan, Charlie V.
Institution: University of California, Irvine
Department: Sociology
Advisor: Ruben Rumbaut
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Publisher Location: Irvine, CA
Pages:
Data Collections: IPUMS USA, IPUMS CPS
Topics: Family and Marriage, Migration and Immigration, Race and Ethnicity
Countries: