تفاوت نژاد قومی در کیفیت زناشویی و طلاق

Blacks report lower marital quality and face a higher risk of marital dissolution than Whites, but little is known about how Hispanics compare to these two groups. We examine five dimensions of marital quality as well as marital dissolution for Blacks, Whites, and Mexican Americans using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 6231). Mexican Americans and Whites have similar levels of marital quality, whereas Blacks report poorer marital quality than these two groups. Blacks face higher odds of marital disruption than either Mexican Americans or Whites, but this is because of Blacks’ lower marital quality. Consistent with the paradox of Mexican American nuptiality, we conclude that aspects of Mexican American culture may play a role in preserving marital quality and stability for this group despite their precarious economic situation.

Although prior research has documented race-ethnic differences in union formation and dissolution patterns and their determinants, we know little about race-ethnic differences in the quality of intact marriages and how these differences may affect subsequent divorce. We also lack a clear understanding of how marital quality and its predictors may vary by race-ethnicity. Including Blacks and Hispanics in research on marital quality not only expands our knowledge of marital dynamics, but may also aid in understanding race-ethnic differences in divorce patterns. Using data from the first two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households, we extend research on Black–White differences in marital quality and divorce by including Mexican Americans.