Biracial marriages in the United States: An analysis of variation in family member support

Abstract

This paper focuses on family member support of the decision of respondents to marry biracially. Through the use of assimilation theory and marital assimilation as a subprocess, it was hypothesized that African American spouses in biracial marriages experienced more support and acceptance from family members than White and Mexican American spouses received from theirs. In addition, individuals in Black/White marriages were asserted to have experienced less support and acceptance from family members than those in Mexican American/White marriages. A nonprobability sample of 337 biracially married individuals was utilized to investigate the research hypotheses. Through correlation and regression analysis, the research hypotheses were generally supported. African American family members were perceived to be the most supportive and accepting of biracial marriages involving one of their own, and White family members were seen as the least supportive. Length of marriage was found to influence support variables, in that those who were married longer tended to say their family members were less supportive of the decision to marry biracially. Personal income, length of marriage, age, and educational achievement had no influence on variation in family member support. Biracial marriage appears to invoke a level of societal nonacceptance that is reflective of racial caste history in the United States. The research establishes an empirical foundation for research into this social phenomenon.