Do Interracial Relationships Last? 

Building an interracial relationship presents a great number of challenges and difficulties for couples and partners. It is because both partners are from different backgrounds, different histories, values, mindsets, and cultures; they need to learn and work on a lot of things. Today, we’ll discuss the question “do interracial relationships last, or do interracial marriages last long,” various statistical figures, and analyze it in terms of marital stability.

Statistical Figures of Interracial Relationships & Marriages 

In order to give you a comprehensive idea about interracial marriages and interracial relationships, some of the statistical figures based on the Pew Research Center are as follows;

• The ratio of interracial marriages and relationships has tripled among newlyweds in the USA during the period of 1980 to 2010 and ranged from 6.1% to 15.1%
• Among all the interracial marriages and relationships, it develops a strong pattern; 11% of the interracial marriages were in the Midwest, 13% in the Northeast, 14% in the South, 22% in the west region of the US
• Gender pattern has changed significantly among the interracial marriages and newlyweds that married outside of their race in 2010; 17% of Asian males, 36% of Asian females; 9% of black females, and 24% of the black males
• Asian and Hispanic are far more like to engage in US interracial marriage than marrying foreign-born Asian and Hispanic people of their own race.
• 43% of US Asian females are more like to engage in an interracial marriage than 34% of foreign-born Asian females; 32% of native-born Asian males would marry outside of their race than 11% of foreign-born Asian males; 36.2% of the US Hispanic males and females would marry outside of their race than 14.2% of the foreign-born Hispanic males and females
• The rate of interracial marriages and relationships was 11.9% of the White with Black newlyweds; 14.4% of the White with Asians; 43% of the White with Hispanics; other combinations of interracial marriage among minorities groups was 30.4%
• Out of all the newlyweds that married outside of their race and ethnic groups 27.7% the Asians, 25.7% the Hispanic, 17.1% the black, and 9.4% the white

Do Interracial Relationships Last In Terms of Marital Stability? 

The abovementioned statistical figures give you a comprehensive idea of the rate of interracial marriages among various types of races and ethnic groups in the US. Interracial marriages and interracial relationships are one thing; stability of the interracial marriages and relationships over time and maintaining it to become successful over time is a completely different thing.

Divorce Rate

Rosalind King and Jenifer Bratter conducted a research study in 2008 analyzing the riskiness of divorce among interracial couples and crossing racial boundaries. While making the comparison, they found that the divorce rate among interracial couples and interracial relationships is very high. They studied those couples that married in the late 1980s.

Jennifer Van Hook and Yuanting Zhang conducted another study in 2009 to analyze the divorce and separation among interracial marriages and interracial relationships, and they found that the divorce rate increased significantly among interracial marriages.

Gender

Studies have found that specific gender is more likely to become divorced. Any of the interracial marriages and relationships that comprise a White woman are more at risk of becoming divorced. Especially, if you compare it with the females of other ethnic and racial groups like Black and Asian. 

Family Support

Tenzin Dorjee and Stella Ting Toomy observed in their studies that the reason the divorce rate among White women is higher in interracial marriages and relationships is because of the limited support from their friends and family members. Non-white-in-laws considered the White women as not-qualified to raise the mixed-race children because they aren’t aware of the culture of the American minority groups.

Ellen Whitehead and Jennifer Bretter observed in their studies in 2018 that White women with mixed-race children would receive limited support from friends and family than any other non-white female with mixed-race children.

Social and Public Views

Studies have found that when a White woman marries a black man, then it amplifies the risk of racial discrimination in social and public places like police profiling and inferior service in hotels and restaurants; especially if you compare it with other interracial relationships of other non-white ethnic groups. Such types of racial discrimination factors and events amplify the risk of the divorce rate among White females in interracial marriages.

Interracial Marriages in Minorities

A research study in 2008 showed that interracial marriages and relationships between white Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites have the lowest divorce rate. However, later studies in 2011 showed that the divorce rate increased among such interracial marriages and relationships. The divorce and separation rate is higher among such interracial marriages that comprise Hispanic males with White females.

Conclusion: Do Interracial Relationships Last? 

After an in-depth study of the question “do interracial relationships last long;” we have realized that building and maintaining interracial relationships require a lot of effort and commitment. There would be various examples of successful interracial marriages, but the statistical figures and studies focus on the majority. If you are learning about interracial marriages, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned studies and points.

Reference

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00491.x

https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=I43zDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT980&redir_esc=y

https://www.quora.com/Do-interracial-marriages-last-longer

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2012/02/16/chapter-1-overview/