Why do Asians like to marry Whites in the U.S.? Among these interracial couples, the pairings are most likely between Asian women and White men. Asian women have the highest intermarriage among all minority groups (Livingston & Brown, 2017). I did a pop-up survey recently with Chinese American couples in Colorado. Most of them (98% or higher) in my circle in Colorado are between Chinese women and White American men.

Why is this type of marriage so popular in the States? Life could be lonely and less cosmopolitan here in the States but chaotic and colorful in China. There are usually language barriers and cultural barriers. Americans tend to be more independent and prefer their nuclear family, and the Chinese tend to be entangled with a big extended family.

One theory to explain this type of marriage’s popularity could be the push & pull or supply & demand theory, even though the divorce rate is climbing up slowly in China. Divorce is still frowned upon in China, especially towards women who have kids. Thus, for Chinese women who had a divorce record and sometimes had a child from their previous marriage, coming to the U.S. is one of the best ways out. Other than the divorced women, older women (more than 30) are considered “leftover” or old maids in China and are experiencing discrimination. This also supplies many women to find partners here in the States. 

American men, on the other hand, get less picky and more exotic when they get older. Taking care of other people’s kids is not as stigmatized in the U.S. as in China. They want someone to cook and take care of them, a free cook and nurse with benefits. On the other hand, most elderly American women do not want to take care of elderly American guys of similar ages or deal with anything that may involve separating money and assets.

Another theory to explain the motivation in entering such unions could be hypergamy theory. Majority of the couples I surveyed reported romantic love as the main motivator for their marriage. However, people’s perceptions are usually shaped by societal beliefs. White males hold higher social status in the U.S., are perceived as more masculine, thus more desirable. They may not be competitive in the American marriage market. But in foreigner’s eyes, they could be more attractive, and the green card that comes with this type of marriage also may tilt the scale. 

The third theory for explaining why people choose this type of union could be internalized discrimination or stereotypes. Asian women are more likely to be perceived as gentle, submissive, and loyal. Most white extremists have Asian wives, which made this type of “yellow fever” or “rice fetish” a bit scary.

Interracially married couples can serve as cultural ambassadors for both countries. Higher intermarriage also indicates blurring racial boundaries. I hope people choose to enter such unions based on understandable reasons, not worrisome ones.