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"Though interracial couples have a higher divorce rate than same-race couples, they typically say race is not a problem in the marriage. But new research by a University of Maryland professor shows that racial issues can have an impact on the success of a marriage between black and a white spouses.
The study also shows that for African Americans, racial identity is a strong contributor to marital quality, stronger than it is for white partners.
“While it is true that interracial couples are very much like other couples and have problems that have nothing to do with race,” said Leigh Leslie, the professor of family studies who directed the study, “our study indicates that how a couple thinks about their own and their partner’s race may be extremely important in their marriage.
“Surprisingly, in clinical work, interracial couples downplay the significance of race,” said Leslie. “The counselor typically believes them and moves on. Our findings show that therapists need to discuss race as a dynamic in the couple’s relationship.”
Couples Surveyed
Leslie, a trained family therapist, and her research team surveyed 76 married couples, all volunteers. The couples were all married, living together, and included one white and one African-American partner, both having grown up in the U.S.
While only 25 percent of American interracial married couples are black-white, Leslie had no trouble finding volunteers. The Washington D.C. metropolitan area, where the university is located, has the highest rate of black-white interracial couples in the nation.
The average age of the participants was 37 years. More than 70 percent had children and had been married between six and eight years, surviving the divorce-prone early years of marriage. More than 70 percent graduated from college, and the majority lived in integrated, multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
They answered the researchers’ questions that explored their feelings about their racial identity, support they received from family and friends, experience with discrimination because of their or their spouse’s color, and how they rated the quality of their marriage.
Racial Identity Matters
“The most striking thing we found in our survey of interracial couples is the importance of racial identity, particularly for African Americans, in assessing the quality of the marriage. The more people had resolved issues of racial identity and had developed a strong black identity, while showing racial tolerance of other races, the more positively the evaluated their marriage.”
Conversely, whites who evaluated the white culture as superior expressed less love for their partner. “What is striking,” Leslie says, “is that the development of racial identity appears to influence interracial marriages even after the early establishment years. That may indicate that coming to grips with the meaning of race and cultural differences is an ongoing process for interracial couples.”
Leslie cautions that the small sample should not be used to generalize too greatly or to characterize racial factors in couples of other racial groups. Rather, she says, “This study offers direction for future research on interracial marriages. Race is such a significant factor in our society that you can’t be in a marriage where there are racial differences and not have it be a dimension in your marriage."
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"Though interracial couples have a higher divorce rate than same-race couples, they typically say race is not a problem in the marriage. But new research by a University of Maryland professor shows that racial issues can have an impact on the success of a marriage between black and a white spouses.
The study also shows that for African Americans, racial identity is a strong contributor to marital quality, stronger than it is for white partners.
“While it is true that interracial couples are very much like other couples and have problems that have nothing to do with race,” said Leigh Leslie, the professor of family studies who directed the study, “our study indicates that how a couple thinks about their own and their partner’s race may be extremely important in their marriage.
“Surprisingly, in clinical work, interracial couples downplay the significance of race,” said Leslie. “The counselor typically believes them and moves on. Our findings show that therapists need to discuss race as a dynamic in the couple’s relationship.”
Couples Surveyed
Leslie, a trained family therapist, and her research team surveyed 76 married couples, all volunteers. The couples were all married, living together, and included one white and one African-American partner, both having grown up in the U.S.
While only 25 percent of American interracial married couples are black-white, Leslie had no trouble finding volunteers. The Washington D.C. metropolitan area, where the university is located, has the highest rate of black-white interracial couples in the nation.
The average age of the participants was 37 years. More than 70 percent had children and had been married between six and eight years, surviving the divorce-prone early years of marriage. More than 70 percent graduated from college, and the majority lived in integrated, multi-ethnic neighborhoods.
They answered the researchers’ questions that explored their feelings about their racial identity, support they received from family and friends, experience with discrimination because of their or their spouse’s color, and how they rated the quality of their marriage.
Racial Identity Matters
“The most striking thing we found in our survey of interracial couples is the importance of racial identity, particularly for African Americans, in assessing the quality of the marriage. The more people had resolved issues of racial identity and had developed a strong black identity, while showing racial tolerance of other races, the more positively the evaluated their marriage.”
Conversely, whites who evaluated the white culture as superior expressed less love for their partner. “What is striking,” Leslie says, “is that the development of racial identity appears to influence interracial marriages even after the early establishment years. That may indicate that coming to grips with the meaning of race and cultural differences is an ongoing process for interracial couples.”
Leslie cautions that the small sample should not be used to generalize too greatly or to characterize racial factors in couples of other racial groups. Rather, she says, “This study offers direction for future research on interracial marriages. Race is such a significant factor in our society that you can’t be in a marriage where there are racial differences and not have it be a dimension in your marriage."
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