Hispanic Intermarriage in New York City: New Evidence from 1991

Abstract

"This study [uses] 1991 marriage records from New York City [to examine] trends in marital assimilation among Puerto Ricans and the non-Puerto Rican Hispanic population. The prevalence of intermarriage varies among the six Hispanic national-origin groups. Changes in intermarriage patterns since 1975 are documented. Results show very high rates of intermarriage with non-Hispanics among Cubans, Mexicans, Central Americans, and South Americans. Considerable intermarriage among Hispanics of different national origins is characteristic of all Hispanics. Finally, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans have distinct patterns of intermarriage...."

Ethnic intermarriage among immigrants: human capital and assortative mating

“…They find a significant and negative relationship between group size and intermarriage. Other studies come to the same conclusion (Gilbertson, et al, 1996).…”

“…Alba and Golden (1986) also find that individuals with mixed ancestry are more likely than the children of endogemously married parents to intermarry. In addition, Gilbertson, et al (1996) find that second-generation Hispanics with mixed ancestry living in New York are more likely to intermarry than second-generation…”

Intermarriage and Homogamy: Causes, Patterns, Trends

“…Consistent with this perspective, most analyses find that the children of immigrants marry out more often than the immigrants themselves (Gilbertson et al 1996;Lee & Yamanaka 1990;Alba 1976). Because trends also occur within generations of immigrants, individual assimilation to the host society is not a sufficient explanation (Gilbertson et al 1996;Sung 1990).…”

“…Consistent with this perspective, most analyses find that the children of immigrants marry out more often than the immigrants themselves (Gilbertson et al 1996;Lee & Yamanaka 1990;Alba 1976). Because trends also occur within generations of immigrants, individual assimilation to the host society is not a sufficient explanation (Gilbertson et al 1996;Sung 1990). An additional interpretation is that assimilation is a process at the macro level: When more and more members of an ethnic group are of the second or third generation-when an ethnic group becomes "older"-all generations find it easier to adapt to the host society.…”

“…RACE/ETHNICITY Analyses of marriage records generally reveal an increase in intermarriage of new ethnic groups in the last decades; this applies to Hispanic intermarriage in New York City (Gilbertson et al 1996), to Asian intermarriage in Hawaii (Schoen & Thomas 1989), and to Asian intermarriage of males-not females-in New York City (Sung 1990). The trend in blackwhite intermarriage has been documented for a longer time period and in more states.…”