Interracial, Interethnic, and Intergenerational Marriages: National Origin Differences

Zhenchao Qian, Ohio State University
Jennifer E. Glick, Arizona State University
Christie D. Batson, Ohio State University

Social Scientists use intermarriage patterns as a measure of social distance and immigrant adaptation. But, the increase in immigrants from diverse national origins has given rise to concern that not all groups will experience the same levels of intermarriage across racial, ethnic or generational boundaries. We examine these three types of intermarriage for four distinct national origin groups in the United States. Using 2000 US Census data for Puerto Rican, Mexican, Chinese and Filipino origin individuals we estimate multinomial regression models predicting intermarriage type. Preliminary results indicate that natives are more likely to intermarry than the foreign born but important national origin differences in the likelihood to marry whites or others within the same panethnic group emerge. Results are presented separately for men and women and significant differences by gender are found.