Othello and Desdemona from William Shakespeare's Othello, a play concerning a biracial couple. William Shakespeare ( baptised

Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** This is a form of exogamy (marrying outside of one's social group) and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation (mixing of different racial groups in marriage, cohabitation, or sexual relations). Exogamy has two related definitions both biological and cultural In Sociology, a group can be defined as two or more Humans that interact with one another accept expectations and obligations as members of the group and share a Miscegenation (Latin miscere "to mix" + genus "kind" is the mixing of different racial groups, that is marrying, cohabiting

Legality of interracial marriage

Main article: Anti-miscegenation laws

While it is now legal in most countries, certain jurisdictions have had regulations banning or restricting interracial marriage in the past. Anti-miscegenation laws, also known as miscegenation laws, were laws that banned Interracial marriage and sometimes interracial sex between whites and members of other These included South Africa under apartheid; Germany in the Nazi period; and many states of the United States, particularly in the South. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In both Nazi Germany and certain American states, such laws have been closely linked to eugenics programs. Eugenics is a social Philosophy which advocates the improvement of Human Hereditary traits through various forms of intervention ^[1]

United States

See also: Race (United States Census)

The plaintiffs in Loving v. Virginia, Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving

In Social Trends in America and Strategic Approaches to the Negro Problem (1948), Gunnar Myrdal ranked the social areas where restrictions were imposed by Southern whites on the freedom of African-Americans through racial segregation from the least to the most important: jobs, courts and police, politics, basic public facilities, "social equality" including dancing, handshaking, and most important, marriage. Loving v Virginia,, was a landmark Civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court declared Virginia 's Anti-miscegenation Karl Gunnar Myrdal (6 December 1898 – 17 May 1987 was a Swedish economist politician and Nobel laureate This ranking scheme seems to explain the way in which the barriers against desegregation fell. Desegregation is the process of ending Racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. Of less importance was the segregation in basic public facilities, which was abolished with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving The most tenacious form of legal segregation, the banning of interracial marriage, was not fully lifted until the last anti-miscegenation laws were struck down in 1967 by the Supreme Court ruling in Loving v. Virginia. Anti-miscegenation laws, also known as miscegenation laws, were laws that banned Interracial marriage and sometimes interracial sex between whites and members of other Loving v Virginia,, was a landmark Civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court declared Virginia 's Anti-miscegenation

Statistics

The number of interracial marriages in the United States has been on the rise: from 310,000 in 1970, to 651,000 in 1980, and 1,161,000 in 1992, according to the US Census of 1993. Interracial marriages represented 0. 7% of all marriages in 1970, rising to 1. 3% in 1980 and 2. 2% in 1992. With the introduction of the mixed-race category, the 2000 census revealed interracial marriage to be somewhat more widespread, with 2,669,558 interracial marriages recorded, or 4. 9% of all marriages. ^[2]. It should be noted that these statistics do not take into account ethnic groups within the same broad categories - for example a marriage involving a person of Japanese origin and a person of Indian origin would not be considered 'mixed'. Nor is hispanic status taken into account^[2]. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically

Based on these statistics:

• Whites are the least likely to marry interracially, although in absolute terms whites are involved in interracial marriages more than any other racial group. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. 1. 9% of married white women and 2. 2% of married white men have a non-white spouse. 1. 0% of married white men are married to an Asian woman, and 1. 0% of married white women are married to a man classified as "other".
• 3. 6% of married black women and 8. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse 4% of married black men have a non-black spouse. 6. 6% of married black men, and 2. 8% of married black women, have a white spouse. Only 0. 1% of married black women are married to an Asian man, representing the least represented marital combination.
• 19. 5% of married Asian women and 7. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular 2% of married Asian men have a non-Asian spouse. 17. 1% of married Asian women are married to a white spouse, and 3. 5% of married Asian men have a spouse woman classified as "other".
• There is a notable disparity in the rates of exogamy by Asian males and females. Exogamy has two related definitions both biological and cultural Only 25% of Asian/white marriages involve an Asian male and white female, and only 15% Asian/black marriages involve an Asian male and a black female.

Intermarriage by ethnic groups

Native American and Asian

Filipino Americans have frequently married Native American and Alaskan Native people. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States In the 17th century, Filipinos were under Spanish rule. The Spanish colonists ordered the Filipinos to trade between the Philippines and the Americas. When Mexico revolted against the Spanish, Filipinos escaped into Mexico, then traveled to Louisiana, where the exclusively male Filipinos married Native American women. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States In the 1920s, Filipino American communities grew in Alaska, and Filipino American men married Alaskan Native women. Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. On the west coast, Filipino Americans married Native American women in Bainbridge Island Washington. Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Bainbridge Island is an Island in Puget Sound, and is an incorporated city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[4] There was a frequency of racial intermarriage between Indian Americans and Mexican Americans in the early 20th century, while Japanese Americans and Cherokee Indians in California during the 1930s, since these ethnic groups were introduced or hired as farm laborers and they had been in high contact with each other. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry are Americans of Japanese heritage Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

Asian and White

Marriages between whites and Asians are becoming increasingly common for both gender combinations (Lange, 2005). White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular In 1990, about 69 percent of married 18-30 year-old Asian women were married to Asian men, while 25 percent of married Asian women had white husbands. ^[5] In 2006, 50 percent of U. S. -raised, married Asian women were married to Asian men, while 41 percent of U. S. -raised, married Asian women had white husbands. 60 percent of U. S. -raised married Asian men were married to Asian women, while 30 percent of U. S. -raised, married Asian men had white wives (2006 U. S. Census Bureau). C. N. Le estimated that the gender gap is smaller among the American-born or 1.5 generation Asian Americans. ^[6] Asian Americans of both genders who are U. S. -raised are much more likely to be married with whites than their non-U. S. -raised counterparts. Not all Asian ethnicities have similar intermarriage patterns, for instance, South Asian Americans were overwhelmingly endogamous, with a small amount of outmarriage to other ethnic groups. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups classes or ethnicities The interracial marriage disparity for South Asian Americans was low with outmarriage to whites slightly higher for Indian American males whereas all other major Asian groups had more outmarriage for women. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U ^[6] A 2001 U. S. national survey conducted by Yankelovich Partners in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League indicated that 24% of the respondents disapprove of marriage with an Asian American. ^[7]

Black and White

Former Defense Secretary William Cohen and journalist Janet Langhart, one of the more prominent interracial couples in the U. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U William Sebastian Cohen (born 28 August 1940) is an author and American politician from the U Janet Langhart Cohen (born December 22, 1941) is an African American model television journalist and author S. Langhart is herself biracial.

Although mixed-race partnering has increased, the United States still shows disparities between African American male and African American female endogamy statistics. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups classes or ethnicities The 1990 census reports that 17. 6% of African American marriages occur with White Americans. Yet, African American men are 2. 6 times more likely to be married to White American women than African American women to White American men. In the 2000 census, 239,477 African American male to White American female and 95,831 European American male to African American female marriages were recorded, again showing the 2. 5-1 ratio. In 2007,4. 6% of married Blacks marry whites, and 0. 4% of married whites marry blacks. ^[8]

Asian and Black

With African Americans and Asian Americans, the ratios are even further imbalanced, with 598% more Asian female/Black male marriages than Asian male/Black female marriages. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian ^[2] However, C. N. Le estimated that Asian Americans of the 1. 5 generation and of the five largest Asian American ethnic groups had black male/Asian female marriages 272% more than Asian male/black Female relationships. ^[6] Even though the disparity between Black and Asian interracial marriages by gender is high according to the 2000 US Census, ^[2] the total numbers of Asian/Black interracial marriages are low, numbering only 0. 22% percent for Asian male marriages and 1. 30% percent of Asian female marriages, partially contributed by the recent flux of Asian immigrants.

A Filipina bride and Nigerian groom walk down the aisle.

Historically, Chinese American men married African American women in high proportions to their total marriage numbers due to few Chinese American women being in the United States. Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent After the Emancipation Proclamation, many Chinese people immigrated to the American South, particularly Arkansas, to work on plantations. The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. The tenth US Census of Louisiana counted 57% of interracial marriages between these Chinese Americans to be with African Americans and 43% to be with European American women. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa A European American (Euro-American is a person who resides in the United States and is either from Europe or is the descendant of European immigrants After the Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese American men had fewer potential Chinese American wives, so they increasingly married African American women on the West Coast. The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law passed on May 6 1882 following revisions made in 1880 to the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 ^[9] In Jamaica and other Caribbean nations as well many Chinese males over past generations took up Black female wives gradually assimilating or absorbing many Chinese descendants into the black community or the overall mixed-race community.

Native American and White

The interracial disparity for Native Americans is low. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States According to the 1990 US Census (which only counts indigenous people with US-government-recognized tribal affiliation), Native American women intermarried white Americans 2% more than Native American men married White women. ^[10]

Marriage squeeze

A new term has arisen to describe the social phenomenon of the so-called "marriage squeeze" for African American females. ^[11] The marriage squeeze refers to the belief that the most eligible and desirable African American men are marrying non-African American women, leaving those African American women who wish to marry African American men with fewer partnering options. According to Newsweek, 43% of black women between the ages of 30-34 have never been married. ^[12] Several explanations of this phenomenon have been advanced. It may be due to the lingering effects of social ostracism to which white American men who married African American women were subjected in the past. A 2006 survey found that the number of white Americans would consider marrying across the colour line is one in five. ^[13] It may also be the result of a desire among African American women to marry African American men due to concepts such as racial loyalty, and the internalized stereotypical belief that non-African American men would not find them attractive. ^[13] There is also the lingering belief that negative social stereotypes preclude them being viewed as anything but sexual objects by non-African American men. ^[13] Lastly, there is a desire among educated women of all races to "marry up" or at least within their social and economic class. Some claim that black women often face either "marrying down" or not marrying at all, when they choose to restrict their marriage prospects to African American men. ^[14] Also, rates of incarceration for marriage age African American males are far higher than rates for females, further contributing to the male/female gap. As of 2002, 10. 4% of all black males between the ages of 25 and 29 were sentenced and in prison. ^[15] The African American male-female disparity is highest between the ages of 25 – 29, when for every two African American men there are nearly three African American women. ^[16]

Education and interracial marriage

Using PUMS data from both the 1980 and 1990 US Census to determine trends within interracial marriage among white Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans, it may be seen that endogamy (marrying within race) was more prevalent for African American men at lower education levels. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups classes or ethnicities

In 1980, the numbers were as follows: African American males without a high-school diploma participated in endogamy at 96. 5%; for those who received a high-school diploma, 95. 6%; for those with a college degree and above, the percentage of endogamy dropped to 94. 0%. However, the rates for African American women changed very little with different educational levels. For the African American woman who had not received a high school diploma the rate was 98. 7%, high school diploma was 98. 6%, with some college it was 98. 2%, and college degree or higher, 98. 5%. During this time there was a significant increase in marriages between whites and African Americans, maintaining that African Americans are most likely to marry whites over other groups.

The 1990 results show that rates of endogamy dropped for both males and females, albeit more for the African American male. In 1990, an African American male with a college degree and more was participating in endogamy at 90. 4%; for an African American female with the same educational level, 96. 4%. The results for the propensity of individuals at higher educational attainment levels to participate less in endogamy over the 10-year period were similar across races, including whites, Hispanics, and Asian Americans.

Immigrants and interracial marriage

Racial endogamy is much stronger for immigrants as compared to natives. Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a social group. Cultures who practice endogamy require marriage between specified social groups classes or ethnicities ^[17] Immigrants of African descent are 4. Africans immigrants, in the scope of this article are recent immigrants to the United States from the continent of Africa and their descendants 9 times more likely than African Americans to marry interracially. Additionally, immigrants of African descent have the highest rates of endogamy of immigrants. Also, African immigrants are much more likely to marry other same-race immigrants and African Americans, than to out-marry racially. Native-born white Americans are also 1. 6 times more likely to marry a native-born black American than an immigrant of African descent. Female immigrants of African descent are generally more likely to marry native-born whites than their male counterparts.

Interracial marriage versus cohabitation

Rates of interracial cohabitation are significantly higher than those of marriage. Cohabitation is when people live together in an emotionally- and/or physically- Intimate relationship. Although only 7 percent of married black men have white wives, 13 percent of cohabitating black men have white partners. Black women are one-and-a-half times more likely to cohabitate with a white partner than to marry him. 25 percent of married Asian women have white spouses, but 45 percent of cohabitating Asian women are with white men—higher than the percentage cohabitating with Asian men (44 percent). ^[18] These numbers suggest that the prevalence of intimate interracial contact is greatly underestimated when one focuses only on marriage data. ^[18]

Africa

Indian (Asian) men have married many African women in Africa. The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known Indians have long been traders in East Africa. The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. The British Empire brought workers into East Africa to build the Uganda Railway. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Uganda Railway is a historical Railway system linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Indians eventually populated South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Rhodesia and Zaire in small numbers. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence The Republic of Zaire (pronunciation; République du Zaïre was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between October 27, 1971 These interracial unions were mostly unilateral marriages between Indian men and East African women. ^[19]

Australia

See also: Demographics of Australia

In 2005 there were slightly more marriages by Australian resident women (13,079) to foreign born partners than Australian resident men (12,714). Current Demographic data Much of the data that follows has been derived from the CIA World Factbook and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, through Australian born males and female residents who married that year were most likely to have married an Australian-born partner (84. 1% of marriages involving Australian men; 83. 7% of marriages involving Australian females). Male Australian residents who were born in China and were married in 2005 were least likely to have married an Australian-born resident (only 3. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National 1% of marriages involving a Chinese born groom were to an Australian-born bride). Female Australian residents who were born in Vietnam and were married in 2005 were least likely to have married an Australian-born resident (only 15. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially 7% of marriages involving a Vietnamese born bride were to an Australian-born groom). Only 8. 8% of males, and 11% of females, who were American born, Australian resident and married in 2005, married another person from the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

In terms of variance between brides and grooms from particular countries in marrying native Australians, 36. 7% of brides but only 7. 9% of grooms born in countries defined as 'North Asia' (Japan and Korea) who married in 2005 did so to an Australian-born partner. Conversely, 64. 1% of grooms but only 43. 8% of brides born in Lebanon who married in 2005 did so to an Australian-born partner. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية ^[20]

Japan

In 2003 there were 36,039 international marriages between Japanese and non-Japanese in Japan - about one out of twenty marriages. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. About 80% of these interracial marriages involved a Japanese male marrying a foreign female (predominantly Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Thai and Brazilian), and 20% involve marriage to a foreign husband (predominantly Korean, American, Chinese, British and Brazilian)^[21].

New Zealand

Interracial marriage has been common in New Zealand since the first full-scale contact between Maori and Europeans in the early 1840s. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island This article discusses the Māori people of New Zealand For their language see Māori language, and for other meanings see Māori (disambiguation. Racial mingling has been so extensive that most Maori are now of mixed blood. Statistics are not available, because the government does not keep statistics on interraccial marriage or the "percentage" of a person's ethnic makeup.

United Kingdom

See also: United Kingdom Census 2001

As of 2001, 2% of all UK marriages are interethnic. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 Despite having a much lower non-white population (9%), mixed marriages are as common as in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[22] New Studies are being conducted by London South Bank University called Parenting 'Mixed' Children: Negotiating Difference and Belonging. London South Bank University (LSBU is one of the oldest universities in central London with over 23000 students and 1700 staff based in the ^[23][24]

Interracial marriage disparities for certain groups

According to the UK 2001 census ^[25], Black British males were around 50% more likely than black females to marry outside their race, whereas British Chinese women (30%) were twice as likely as their male counterparts (15%) to marry someone from a different ethnic group. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 See also British African-Caribbean community, Caribbean British Black British is a term which has had different meanings and uses as a racial and political British Chinese, including British-born Chinese (often informally referred to as BBC) are people of Chinese ancestry who were born in or have migrated Among British Asians, males were twice as likely to to have an inter-ethnic marriage than their female counterparts. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Case of Seretse Khama

In 1948, an international incident was created when the British government took exception to the marriage of Seretse Khama, kgosi (king) of the Bamangwato people of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, to an English woman, Ruth Williams, whom he had met while studying law in London. Sir Seretse Khama KBE ( July 1 1921 July 13 1980) was the first President of Botswana. The Bamangwato (more correctly BagammaNgwato people are one of the eight principal Tribes of Botswana. The Bechuanaland Protectorate (BP was a protectorate established on March 31, 1885, by the United Kingdom in Southern Africa. Ruth Williams Lady Khama ( 1923 - 22 May 2002) was the wife of Botswana 's first president Sir Seretse Khama. The interracial marriage sparked a furor among both the tribal elders of the Bamangwato and the apartheid government of South Africa, who could not afford to have an interracial couple ruling just across their northern border, and who therefore immediately exerted pressure to have Khama removed from his chieftainship. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Britain’s Labour government, then heavily in debt from World War II, could not afford to lose cheap South African gold and uranium supplies. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including There was also a fear that South Africa might take more direct action against Bechuanaland, through economic sanctions or a military incursion. ^[26][27] The British government therefore launched a parliamentary enquiry into Khama’s fitness for the chieftainship. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Though the investigation reported that he was in fact eminently fit for the rule of Bechuanaland, "but for his unfortunate marriage",^[28] the government ordered the report suppressed (it would remain so for thirty years), and exiled Khama and his wife from Bechuanaland in 1951. It took many years of exile before the couple was allowed to live in Africa, and several more years before Khama became president of what is now Botswana. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. Their son Ian Khama is presently the president of Botswana. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa.

References

External links

• loving day

See also

• Miscegenation
• Interracial pornography
• Mixed Race Day
• Loving Day
• Multiracial
• The Race of the Future
• The Adventure of the Yellow Face
• Transnational marriage