IPR Seminar: Dr. Kelly Balistreri, Sociology, Bowling Green State University

Cross-Border Marriages : Evidence from the American Community Survey

The proportion of marriages that include partners of different nationalities—frequently referred to as cross-border marriages—has increased substantially in recent decades and may be a sign of increasing globalization. Much of what we know about cross-border marriages is based on studies conducted in Asia or Europe. We know little about the prevalence and characteristics of cross-border marriages in the United States. While extensive sociological and economic research has considered the mechanism of status exchange to account for intermarriage between US natives and immigrants, studies have not considered age and citizenship status as elements of exchange. The current study uses multiple years of the ACS to examine the timing of marriage, migration and citizenship.