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Group Differences in Intermarriage with Whites between Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics: The Effects of Assimilation and Structural Constraints
Author(s) -
Wu Zheng,
Schimmele Christoph M.,
Hou Feng
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12146
Subject(s) - demography , ethnic group , metropolitan area , assimilation (phonology) , asian americans , geography , racial differences , psychology , demographic economics , sociology , economics , anthropology , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology
This study examines the reasons for differences in the prevalence of intermarriage with Whites between racial minorities in 283 U.S. metropolitan areas. The analysis demonstrates that Asians have the highest and Blacks the lowest rate of intermarriage with Whites, with Hispanics falling in between. We tested two theories for these group differences. First, the structural explanation, which posits that differences in the relative size of each racial group in marriage markets affects their chances for intermarriage. Second, the assimilation explanation, which suggests that differences in social distance with Whites influences the propensity for intermarriage. The decomposition analysis shows that the cultural assimilation explanation is the primary reason for the Hispanic–Black gap in intermarriage. However, both explanations predict Black–Asian and Asian–Hispanic differences in intermarriage with Whites.