"Breaking away from previous marriage and cohabitation studies that treated the U.S. black population as a monolithic culture, a new Cornell study finds significant variations in interracial marriage statistics among American-born blacks and black immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa.
interracial couple walking on the beach

Among the findings: Blacks born on the U.S. mainland (African-Americans) are more likely to cohabit with and marry whites than are newcomers from the West Indies, Africa and Puerto Rico, who are more likely to marry within their group or to marry African-Americans, although marriage rates between these two groups remain very low.

The study also found that there is a higher proportion of cohabitation among interracial couples relative to mixed race marriages, said Daniel T. Lichter, professor of policy analysis and management and director of the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center at Cornell. "Nearly 10 percent of all cohabiting unions are between partners of different races."

The study, conducted with Christie Batson and Zhenchao Qian of Ohio State University, is published in the August issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family.

Among the study's other findings:

    A higher percentage of black cohabiting couples than married couples involve partners of different races or ethnic ancestries;
    Nearly 75 percent of interracial couples in which one partner is black involve a black man and white woman;
    African-Americans are more likely to pair with blacks born outside the United States than with whites.

The study is an effort to tease out discrete factors that influence "assimilation" -- a term often interpreted as pejorative -- of minority groups into the majority population. The recent increase in interracial unions presumably reflects positive changes in American race relations and a blurring of racial and ethnic boundaries and identities, Lichter said.

However, relying on data from the 2000 census, the primary goal of the study, he said, "is to acknowledge the diversity in America's black populations, while highlighting emerging patterns of marriage and cohabitation with whites as well as other black subpopulations."

Demographers and sociologists have always treated intermarriage between groups -- blacks and whites, or between whites of different ethnic backgrounds -- as evidence of a narrowing of "social distance" between groups, Lichter said. Quantifying these relationships is a useful way to summarize the extent to which minority or historically oppressed populations -- including new immigrants -- are being economically, geographically and politically incorporated into American society and to which racial boundaries are breaking down.

"A current question is whether the new black population -- from the West Indies and Africa -- will, over time, more strongly identify with the native-born African-American population or with the majority white population," Lichter said. "There also is a growing literature on ethnic antagonisms between native-born blacks and African-born immigrants. Hence our interest in intermarriage among diverse black populations -- intermarriage reveals important information on inter-group relations."

The importance of the study comes into sharper focus when viewed in a historical context. Miscegenation laws forbidding interracial marriage were not lifted nationwide until 1967, the study states. Even so, when it comes to marriage, the color line remains strong. Despite an increase in black-white marriages and cohabitation since 1967, African-Americans "remain much less likely than American Indians, Latinos and Asian-Americans to marry whites," Lichter said.

Skin color, then, remains a powerful and mitigating factor in America's marriage patterns. "


http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/july06/blacks.marry.fac.html

^^^^^^what is your take on the article people

This thinking belongs in the 90's n people are pretty tired of reharshing it over and over again.

Move on.!!

off topic

I don't think its true, most black people I see are with other black people with few interracial couples (this group tends to be more upper middle class in my opinion), but I don't think it matters, you should marry who makes you happy at the end of the day, if you are marrying for frivolous things then don't expect a good marriage.

you guys stop posting articles. . .

Very well;but many fairer americans women think dark americans are cool.

Many Fairer american women think Dark american men are cool.

[img]http://2.bp..com/_6Mhk0PFVMeA/SIsUZ4kJfGI/AAAAAAAAAAM/cN5BfH1S7W8/s400/kobe-bryant-vanessa.bmp[/img]

[img]http://www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/2nd+Annual+amfAR+Cinema+Against+AIDS+Dubai+41oWo7pLzICl.jpg[/img]

^^^^^^lol nolongthing, keep them coming

All I see is Black American men with white women on this thread. So were you trying to say Black American men marry white women more than black women?

What is the difference between Black American men marrying white women and African men marrying white women?

I think this trend is ridiculos, That fact of the matter interracial marriages among blacks in America is a very small percentage, in comparsion to other minority communities in the United States. However the highest interracial marriage among blacks in the United States is in the West Coast, which throughout its history was very open toward interracial marriages. Also, frankly speaking AA is Americans therefore i have not issues with it.

This is silly and childish i will post some up. The Peetes have a very attractive family.

Blair Underwood and wife

Emitt Smith ex NFL football player and his wife

Omar Epps and his wife

Morris Chestnut and his wife.

Basketball player Lebron James and his wife.

Bill Cosby and his wife of many years.

this black white relationship issue is getting too much attention imo.

ok, let every black male date/marry only white or non-black women.

i hope everyone will be happy now?

problem solved, now can we start discussing what to do about nigeria's underdevelopment.

potholes, armed robbery everywhere, no light, high poverty levels, etc.

tpia@:

this black white relationship issue is getting too much attention imo.

ok, let every black male date/marry only white or non-black women.

i hope everyone will be happy now?

problem solved, now can we start discussing what to do about nigeria's underdevelopment.

potholes, armed robbery everywhere, no light, high poverty levels, etc.

If you have noticed this thread hasn't gotten much views because it is not relevant to Nigerians, especially in Nigeria because It is the marriage patterns of black americans compared to other blacks of different cultures in America; why should Nigerians care? we have our own problems, to me this type of topic should be on the african american forum because it would have reached more then a 1000 views by now if it was. The only benefit of this thread it will warn people not to bring up threads like this on a african forum, especially a Nigerian forum.

^^^^^^^^this is just a informative thread that's all, smh

Apparently Some Africans are concern about what Black American men are doing in America and I am sure the poster isn't Black American.

Even if this thread was on a Black American forum, Black American people have better things to talk about then the highlights of black men bedroom activities.

I agree that Nigerians have far more better things to worry about as Nigeria need to address some local issues however the struggle of power between groups in Nigeria is hindering the progress.

Focus is misdirected.

^^^^^^^^^^^so people know that the dating & marriage patterns between african americans, Caribbeans, and africans are different amongst the groups; Despite the fact that they are black. Here is your source Nigerians, well the ones in America.