Intermarriage and the U.S. Military

• Author: Christina A. Houseworth,Keoka Grayson
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X18769456
• Published date: 01 October 2019
• Date: 01 October 2019
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Intermarriage and

the U.S. Military

Christina A. Houseworth

1

and Keoka Grayson

1

Abstract

This article uses a comprehensive descriptive analysis to examine the determinants

of racial intermarriage for native-born men and women using the 2012 American

Community Survey. A comparison between military and civilian samples is the main

focus of the article. We improve upon the existing literature by identifying the

proximity of the respondent’s current residence to a military base and including an

analysis of anti-miscegenation laws by state. Further, we provide a cohort analysis to

parse out generational differences. We find that military members are more likely to

intermarry, regardless of cohort, and that non-White military members have higher

rates of education than their civilian counterparts. Black females in the military are

more educated and have a significantly higher rate of intermarriage than their civilian

counterparts. Additionally, the difference in intermarriage rates between civilian and

military members is 31 percentage points higher for Black women than Black men.

Keywords

military culture, family issues, sociology, civil military relations

Racial discrimination can be a powerful determinant of social and economic out-

comes in the United States. Yet racial discrimination is difficult to conceptualize and

quantify. However, racial intermarriage rates are accessible indicators of social

integration. Racial intermarriage rates can be used to investigate which individual

1

Department of Economics, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, USA

Corresponding Author:

Christina A. Houseworth, Department of Economics, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 312 Stern Hall,

Geneva, NY 14456, USA.

Email: houseworth@hws.edu

Armed Forces & Society

2019, Vol. 45(4) 659-680

ªThe Author(s) 2018

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X18769456

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characteristics make racial integration more likely. Interestingly, U.S. veterans and

active duty military members have higher rates of racial intermarriage than their

civilian counterparts (Jacobson & Heaton, 2003). We exploit this difference in

intermarriage rates between military members and civilians to examine the determi-

nants of intermarriage.

This study is primarily a descriptive ana lysis. The responses of heterosexual

couples are drawn from the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) 2017. In this

study, relevant questions on race and ethnicity from the ACS are used to categorize

individuals into one of three racial/ethnic groups: White, Black, and White Hispanic.

Intermarriage is defined as a marriage between two spouses of different racial or

ethnic backgrounds. We limit the analysis to respondents who were born in the

United States; however, their spouses may be foreign-born.

Research suggests that education, residential integration, and geographical com-

ponents are characteristics that inform intermarriage ra tes (Becker, 1974, 1991;

Chiswick & Houseworth, 2011; Furtado & Theodoropoulos, 2011; Gullickson,

2006; Heer, 1974; Iceland & Nelson, 2010; Kalmijn, 1998; Peach, 1980; Zhou &

Logan, 1991). Educational achievement by race has a significantly narrower gap

among military members than in the civilian population. Further, military personnel

are more likely to be removed from own-ethnic enclaves while living in integrated

on-base housing or diverse metropolitan areas off base. A more racially integrated

residence and higher educational attainment increase the probability of interracial

contact and social cohesion. A higher probability of interracial contact and social

cohesion decreases the likelihood of racial prejudices and discrimination (Heaton &

Jackson, 2000). It is important to note that these unique military characteristics do

not eliminate discrimination in the military. However, relative to civilian popula-

tions, it is hypothesized that the military fosters a less discriminatory environment.

This article adds to the literature in several ways. Jacobson and Heaton (2003)

examine the difference in interracial marriage rates between civilian and military

personnel using the 1990 Census and Current Population Survey data from 1976 to

1998. We extend their analysis by analyzing more recent data. We use a rich set of

covariates, both the standard variables found in research related to marriage and

additional variables such as the identification of the proximity of the respondent’s

current residence to a military base and anti-miscegenation laws by state. Further,

we provide a cohort analysis to parse out differences in the determinants of inter-

marriage by generation. This article provides a strong framework to understand

interracial marriage in the Un ited States, a thorough discuss ion of the previous

literature surrounding the determinants of racial intermarriage, and a detailed eva-

luation of the determinants of intermarriage for military members.

Key findings include drastically different intermarriage rates by race and military

status. We find that military members are always more likely to intermarry, regard-

less of cohort. Additionally, Black and White Hispanic military members have

higher rates of education than their civilian counterparts, while the opposite rela-

tionship is found for White men. White men in the military are, on average, less

660 Armed Forces & Society 45(4)