Better race relations reflected in marriage.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

The number of marriages between African-Americans and whites has increased rapidly since 1980, outpacing the unions between whites and other ethnic and racial groups, including Latinos, Asian-Americans, and American Indians, points out a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

Still, the total number of marriages between blacks and whites continues to be much smaller than those between whites and other racial and ethnic groups. "Our results point to better race relations, but we still have a way to go. The racial boundary is blurred, but it is still there," indicates Zhenchao Qian, lead author of the study.

Understanding changes in interracial marriages involves two factors: the marriage market of whom is available to marry and individuals' choices about whom they would be willing to marry. While marriages between blacks and whites have shown large increases, there has been just a slight uptick in marriages between whites and Hispanics. Moreover, the long-term rise in marriages between whites and Asians looks to be ending.

Much of this...