Marital Dissolution and Formation for Interracial Couples: Evidence from Parents of Biracial Children

There is a large amount of literature on whether interracial relationships are more unstable than same-race relationships. This study utilizes data on the race of respondents’ children and examines how marital dissolution and formation differ for those who mate interracially. Contrary to several previous studies, this study finds that some interracial couples are more likely to proceed to marriage and have more stable marriage than same-race couples. White men with Asian biracial children are more likely to be married than other white male parents, black women with white biracial children are more likely to be married than other black female parents, and Asian women with white biracial children are more likely to get married (but more likely to get divorced or separated once married) than other Asian female parents.