Patterns of Intermarriages and Cross-Generational In-Marriages among Native-Born Asian Americans

This article examines patterns of post-1965 native-born Asian Americans' intermarriages and cross-generational in-marriages using a combined sample of the 2001-2006 American Community Surveys from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. The analysis focuses on ethnic and gender differences in intermarriage and cross-generational in-marriage rates and patterns. About 55 percent of native-born Asian Americans are found to be intermarried while another 23 percent are married to 1.5-generation or first-generation co-ethnic immigrants. Thus only 22 percent of native-born Asian Americans are married to co-ethnic native-born Asian Americans. As expected, there are significant ethnic and gender differences in intermarriage and cross-generational in-marriage rates and patterns. This study is significant because it is the first study that has examined intermarriage patterns among post-1965 native-born Asian Americans, the majority of whom are likely to be children of post-1965 Asian immigrants, using the most recent Census data available. It is also significant for studies of the new second generation in general in that it is the first study to show patterns of cross-generational in-marriage among members of the new second generation.