POP award 2019 submissions

This study applies the status exchange theory to white-Latino intermarriage and explores how the strength of status exchange differs by Latino nativity. The status exchange hypothesis theorizes that couples of unequal social standing engage in an exchange of characteristics, thus suggesting that there are certain obstacles individuals of lower status may face to interact with individuals of higher status. This theory highlights a possible mechanism that drives intermarriage and indicates the height of barriers that different groups encounter when intermarrying. Analyzing differences by nativity provides a greater understanding of the trajectory of Latinos’ integration in the U.S. This study uses years 2008-2015 of the American Community Survey and log-linear models for contingency tables. The best fitting models show evidence of status exchange among marriages between foreign-born Hispanics and native-born whites. Among native-born Hispanics, Hispanic wives seem to engage in status exchange with native-born whites. These results suggest that both foreign-born and native-born Hispanics face similar barriers as blacks when interacting with whites. More broadly, there is evidence for a white-nonwhite racial divide within the U.S.