DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

DATING AND MARRIAGE PATTERNS IN ASIAN AMERICANS

 

by Ginmann Bai

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.
User-uploaded Content
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

One of the most prominent aspects of Asian American culture is the issue of dating and marriage. The patterns of dating and marriage between and among Asians and non-Asians show us how racial boundaries are changing in the United States and move us toward an increasingly multiracial society. The past 30 years has seen a significant rise in marriage across different ethnic and racial groups. Lee and Bean posit that this change in numbers could indicate that the social distance and racism between groups is diminishing. Given the growing awareness of racial issues in the US, as well as appreciation for Asian Americans in mass media, this idea is not too far-fetched. However, we should be careful about extracting too much from these numbers. There are still a variety of issues to be considered. What considerations are involved in Asian Americans making their marriage decisions? What can we predict about the future of dating patterns of Asian Americans, and can anything be done to influence positive change? With this discussion I hope to shed some light on these issues.

 

_______________________________________________________________

Hwang, S. S., Saenz R., & Aguirre, B.E. (1997).  Structural and assimilationist

explanations of Asian American intermarriage.  Journal of Marriage and the Family, 59, 758-772.

 

Lee, C. L. & Zane, N.W.S. (1998), Handbook of Asian American Psychology.

California: Sage Publications.

 

 

Lee, Jennifer and Frank D. Bean, “Beyond Black and White: Remaking Race in

America.” Contexts (2003): 26-33.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.