As with all things in life, there doesn’t seem
to be a lone contributing factor to dating and marriage patterns
among Asian Americans. Intermarriage rates are clearly on the rise,
and there are many possible reasons for it, both positive and
negative. On the positive side, American society as a whole seems
to becoming more accepting of interracial relationships. These
unions will most likely foster a whole new generation of
multiracial Americans, such that “race” will no longer be an easy
categorization. The theory of propiniquity suggests that the rise
in intermarriage rates is simply a matter of greater numbers of
Asian Americans becoming assimilated and in high contact with
non-Asians. On the other hand, there are still negative pressures.
The negative media portrayals of Asian males as asexual and
inadequate continue to divide people by color. There are still
cultural clashes and class differences that force people to limit
their pool of potential spouses. But what should these marriage
statistics look like? Should any given American be equally likely
to marry any race, or can race sometimes be a valid consideration?
There are many answers to this question, but I think making
decisions according to race excludes oneself as well as
others. My vote is for unity.
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