Interracial Marriage to a White Spouse Among Black, Asian, and Hispanic Americans & Online Dating and Partner Selections Among White Adults: Perspectives, Mechanisms, and Trends

Abstract

This dissertation investigates intermarriage dynamics between whites and racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States, focusing on theoretical perspectives and mechanisms shaping partner selection from 2010 to 2020. Employing marriage market, structural/demographic, and assimilationist frameworks, this research analyzes intermarriage rates to whites among Black, Asian, and Hispanic Americans, addressing how factors such as demographic availability, socioeconomic parity, geographic dispersion, immigration patterns, and ethnic replenishment influence patterns of interracial marriage. The findings underscore the significant role that structural and demographic contexts, particularly socioeconomic resources at the local level, play in shaping intermarriage outcomes, while highlighting limitations in existing theoretical explanations for disparities across racial groups.Additionally, this dissertation explores the role of online dating platforms in perpetuating racial boundaries and biases among white users through a nationally representative conjoint experiment. The findings indicate that, despite the potential for digital platforms to expand interracial dating opportunities, they often reinforce existing racial hierarchies via implicit biases embedded in user choices and platform algorithms. Overall, this research contributes to sociological literature by providing deeper insights into racial integration processes, boundary maintenance, and the interaction between digital technologies and societal racial norms, ultimately presenting intermarriage as both a reflection and a mechanism of broader racial dynamics in contemporary American society.