An Examination of the Formation and Characteristics of Interracial Romantic Relationships among Adolescents in the United States.

Abstract

In this dissertation I examine the ways in which individual, family and social contextual factors influence the formation and characteristics of interracial romantic relationships among adolescents in the United States. The dissertation comprises three studies, all of which use data from Wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The overarching goal of the dissertation is to better understand intergroup relationship among adolescents. In the first study, I examine whether school socioeconomic status (SES) have any impact on the establishment of interracial relationships. I find that attending a medium-SES school increases the chance of dating interracially for white, Hispanic and Asian teens, while attending a high-SES school decreases the chance of interracial dating for all minority groups (blacks, Hispanics and Asians). The results suggest that although minority teens have more proximity to whites in high-SES schools, they may face more rejection and discrimination than their peers in low-SES schools. In the second study, I explore the impact of interracial romantic relationships on sexual behavior. The overall findings indicate that differences in the risk of sex and using contraception between interracially and intra-racially dating adolescents are non-existent or minimal for all racial groups (white, black, Hispanic and Asian). Dating a white partner does not increase the risk of sex for minority adolescents (blacks, Hispanics and Asians), but dating a different-race non-white partner does. The results do not indicate that minority teens exchange sex for their white partner’s racial status, as social exchange theory would predict. In the third study, I examine the influence of immigration on interracial relationship formation, and address the extent to which assimilation into U.S. culture affect the interracial experiences of Hispanic and Asian adolescents. The results show that Hispanic teens who are more attached to their own culture are less likely to form romantic relationships with either whites or other non-whites. Asian teens who are more attached to their own culture, however, are only less likely to form romantic relationships with other non-whites. This result suggests that dating whites might be viewed more positively in the Asian community than in the Hispanic community.