Interracial Marriage - Essay Example

Interracial Marriage Introduction It would not be a mistake to suggest that living in society should be seen as an irreplaceable prerequisite for the development of the inner potential of a person. Indeed, it is had not been for the presence of other people around, a considerable number of features which are regarded as characteristic one would not have emerged. Moreover, one should also note that any social environment is comprised of smaller units such as a family. The latter is generally thought to be the foundation of the society. However, there are might be situations when a family is made up of people who belong to different races. In spite of the fact that it does not seem to be a big problem at first, the reality shows that interracial marriages are still a rather controversial topic. This paper will analyze interracial marriages involving several ethnic and racial groups, namely the Hispanics and the Blacks, showing that the former group has a higher interracial marriage than the latter because of a number of social factors. History of interracial marriages To begin with, it may be particularly important to give a brief review of the legal status of the phenomenon in question in order to develop a better understanding of it. Thus, one might note that interracial marriages have not always been approved by the government. Quite the opposite: there were times when the latter banned such marriages. In spite of there fact that there was a handful of states that repealed the so called anti-miscegenation laws in the nineteenth century, the majority of them did not do it until 1967, when prohibition of interracial marriages was recognized as unconstitutional (Norwood, 2013, p. 121). That is why it would not be a mistake to suggest that this phenomena is simultaneously old (as evidence of it can be traced several centuries back), but also a rather young one (since even a century have not passed since the time when the prohibition was removed). The major view points on the issue As it has been stated earlier, the issue of interracial marriages should be seen as a rather controversial one. That is why there should be at least two opposing view point. On the one hand, there are egalitarians who argue that people of different races should be able to marry whoever they want as the institute of marriage does not deal with one ethnic background, but is equally recognized by every group. On the other hand, there is a conservative part of society which argues that such mix of races is likely to undermine the foundations of the social environment and, therefore, should be avoided in case people are willing to retain the culture that they belong to. Keeping in mind that nowadays interracial marriages are allow, one might suggest that the point of view of the former group prevails. Statistical dimension of one spouse Hispanic versus one spouse Black marriages First of all, it may be particularly important to analyze the rate of occurrence of interracial marriages that involve Hispanic and Black people. For the purposes of this paper the other spouse will belong to White group. Thus, according to a research in 2008 around 41 percent of newly married interracial couples were Hispanic / White, while the number from Black / White was four times smaller (Taylor, 2010, p. 2). The similar difference was also witnessed by a research which was carried out several years later: the number of couples that involved White and Hispanic spouses was 2,020,825 while the number of Black and White couples was only 422, 250 (Johnson & Kreider, 2010, p.1). Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that there is a tremendous difference between marriage patters that exists in these two groups. Explanation for disparity of White / Hispanic versus White / Black marriages Social capital The first sociological concept that should be engaged in order to explain the prevalence of Hispanic and White versus Black and White marriages is social capital. It would not be a mistake to suggest that any marriage is an advancement of ones life. However, in the majority of cases there is a mutual desire to improve ones social position. In spite of the fact that both Hispanics and Blacks belong to an ethnic minority, the social capital of the latter seems to be less if compared to the one of the former (Bolt, 2013, p. 118). Therefore, White spouses follow their unconscious or conscious desire to accumulate more social capital would prefer Hispanic over Black group. Social stratification The next sociological concept that is able to contribute to a better understanding of the disparity in question is social stratification. The latter is largely thought to be a better concept when disturbing the inner structure of the society as it operates with more flexible notions (Spradley, 2011, p. 187). As it has already been noted, Hispanics and Blacks belong to ethnic minority. In addition to that the evidence shows that they are also often found at the bottom of the social ladder due to low level of income and education. In spite of the fact that they may share a social strata, the former group is less associated with the lower end of the social ladder. This might partially explain why Spanish spouses seem more desirable to their White counterparts. Potential for assimilation Marriage should be seen as one of the primarily building blocks of the society. However it also connects a person to a larger community of people. This connection can be distorted if the spouses represent different races. As a result, there will inevitably be process of assimilation. It is quite understandable that a Hispanic person is likely to enter a White community with fewer difficulties than a Black person. That is why while considering ones future husband or wife, a person might think about the assimilation process and the choice is likely to fall on a Hispanic American rather than an African American. The existence of stereotypes In spite of the fact that racial segregation has been outlawed, there is no doubt that some people still adhere to their racial prejudices. That is why some might comply with the spirit of tolerance and mutual appreciation that is being promoted in the contemporary American society, they will limit their contacts with the people outside their ethnic group. This will also be reflected in the choice of their marriage partner as they are likely to oppose to interracial marriages. With this regard one should recall a significant different between Hispanics and Blacks: the former is an ethnic group, while the latter is a racial group. In other words, for people with a racially prejudiced worldview marrying a Black person will be more unacceptable than marrying a Hispanic person. Acceptance of interracial marriages in each group The White perspective As it has already been noted in the very beginning of the paper, the concept of interracial marriage was viewed with one spouse being White. So, the perspective of this group should be taken into consideration first of all. It must be noted that there is no unified opinion about the issue question. Thus, there ate many people who argue that the color of skin does not matter in romantic relationships. Keeping mind the significant number of White people marrying those of a different race this may surely be the case. However, should also keep in mind the opposite point of view. The Hispanic perspective Speaking of the way interracial marriages are perceived by those who belong to the Hispanic group one should mention several aspects. On the one hands, some people in the Hispanic community might be willing to preserve their traditions and culture, so they may deliberately stay within its boundaries and make sure that their children will be raised accordingly. However, there are many Hispanics who want assimilate into the social environment that is primarily composed by the Whites. In this case, they are likely to view interracial marriages as an effective tool to achieve this goal. It is obvious that this does not cast any shadow on the feelings of a spouse, it just notes that one approves of the phenomenon in question. The Black perspective While considering the attitude of African Americans towards interracial marriages, one might suggest that this topic is extremely controversial for these people. On the one hand, there is a movement among Black people to celebrate their national identity and preserve their culture. One would make no mistake that from this perspective "to marry out" (as interracial marriages are often referred to) would be equal to betraying ones culture. In addition to that, one may also note that African American community was able to gain equal civil rights slightly less that half a century ago; that is why to a certain extent the issue of independence and identify is extremely important for them. With this in mind, some might speculate that interracial marriages are not as welcomed by these people if compared to other groups. "Marriage squeeze" Finally, the examination of the issue of interracial marriages would not be complete if the analysis lacks a proper examination of the phenomenon that is known as "marriage squeeze". It denotes the situation when males of a particular group (for example, African Americans) decide to marry a person that belongs to a different group while females of the former group are not able find a suitable partner to themselves or the same cultural background. It was pointed out that when an African American man reaches a certain level of personal prosperity, one is not likely to marry an African American woman; so, the latter have to carry on their search for a romantic partner within their ethnic group hoping that they will be able to find one. Conclusion Having examined all the evidence which was brought up in the previous paragraphs, one is able to come to the following logical conclusion: interracial marriages that exist in the Unites States if America should be seen as an important social phenomenon as it represents the important divide that exists in the American society which is the one between different groups in the population. Surprisingly, some of them are more likely to be engaged into marriages that involve a partner of a different race or ethnicity. The above mentioned disparity can be explained by a variety of sociological concepts such as social capital and social stratification, assimilation or existence of various racial prejudices. Nevertheless, one should keep in mind that this phenomenon is a rather important for constructing a diverse society. References Bolt, G., & Ekren, A. (2013). Linking Integration and Residential Segregation. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis. Johnson, T., & Kreider, R. (2010). Mapping Interracial/Interethnic Married-Couple Households in the United States. Retrieved April 17, 2015. Norwood, K. (2013). Color matters: Skin tone bias and the myth of a post-racial America. New York, NY: Routledge. Spradley, J. (2011). Conformity and conflict: Readings in cultural anthropology. Boston, MA: Little, Brown. Taylor, P. (2010). Marrying Out. Retrieved April 17, 2015. Read More