A comparison of the marital quality of Asian-White couples to that of same-race Asian and same-race white couples

The purpose of this study was to examine the marital quality of interracial Asian-white couples. A major goal of this project was to complement and improve upon existing studies of interracial families.;This study tested hypotheses generated by marginalization and assimilation theories on the adjustment and well-being of minority groups. These theories predict that individuals in interracial unions will experience more stress and strain and may be at risk for higher marital instability and lower well-being than individuals in same-race unions because: (1) these individuals are more likely to be marginalized and less integrated, and that (2) on an individual level, minority spouses who are less assimilated into their partner's culture will experience more conflicts due to cultural differences than individuals in same-race marriages, while more assimilated minority spouses who have adopted the current majority attitudes toward divorce will perceive lower marital stability if their marriages are unsatisfactory. An alternative hypothesis was proposed using the resiliency perspective. This perspective focuses on the positive functioning and resources of interracial marriages and predicts that the unique challenges of interracial relationships may facilitate personal growth and enhance the stability of such relationships.;Husbands and wives in three types of marriages (same-race white, same-race Asian, and Asian-white marriages) were each asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire. Asian subjects in this study were highly assimilated culturally and structurally. Overall, analyses of their responses on seven measures of their marital quality and perceived instability revealed that interracially married individuals do not differ significantly from intraracially married individuals. Two exceptions are found on two of five measures of marital instability: (1) interracially married Asian males significantly perceive their marriages to be less positive; (2) interracially married white males were significantly less likely to report marital trouble in the past year. In addition, Asian spouses in same-race marriages reported significantly lower marital quality, a higher probability of being maritally distressed, and less positive views of their marital histories than white spouses in same-race marriages.;Finally, interracially married Asian husbands perceived significantly lower social integration and support than husbands in other unions indicating that they may be more marginalized.