Latinas’ Transition to First Marriage: An Examination of Four Theoretical Perspectives

Abstract

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and census data are used to examine the effect of both individual‐ and contextual‐level determinants on Latinas’ transition to first marriage (n= 745). Hypotheses derived from 4 leading theories of marriage timing are evaluated. Discrete‐time event‐history models that control for clustering within Labor Market Areas suggest that foreign‐born Latina and Anglo women have virtually identical marriage trajectories. Analyses further demonstrate that Latinas’ individual human capital, and residence in areas characterized by a relatively large supply of single foreign‐born Latino men, are associated with higher probabilities of marriage, whereas women’s aggregate economic opportunities are correlated with the predicted postponement of first marriage.