An Interracial Study of Marital Disruption in Hawaii

Abstract

Both divorce and intermarriage have increased in the past few decades, but study on dissolution of racially exogamous marriages is rarely seen. This paper examines risk differentials between interracial and intra-ra-cial marriages among Caucasians, Hawaiians, Filipinos and Japanese in Hawaii between 1983 and 1996. Results indicate that exogamous marriages last a shorter time than homogamous marriages, and the difference is greatest for Japanese. Time-series analysis reveals that exogamous marriages are in general 24% more likely to end in divorce than endogamous marriages, but there is substantial variation across racial groups. Intermarriages with a Caucasian wife are the least Stable.