Preference and prejudice: Does intermarriage erode negative ethno-racial attitudes between groups in Spain?

Abstract

This paper challenges the idea – rooted in classic assimilation theory – that intermarriage clearly erodes social and ethno-racial boundaries and negative attitudes between groups. Drawing on narratives from 58 immigrants of seven different origin countries residing in Catalonia, Spain, who are in romantic partnerships with Spanish-born people, we focus on preferences and prejudices related to mixing. We find that the members of exogamous couples both suffer social discrimination regarding the crossing of ethnocultural borders, particularly from their respective family members – a rejection that is based on negative stereotypes and preconceptions linked to the partner's origin, phenotype or ethnocultural characteristics, such as religion, in intersection with gender. More significantly, we also find that ethno-racial prejudices (particularly when referring to marriage preferences for the respondents and their children) and discriminatory attitudes (towards one's own and other immigrant minority groups) also exist among intermarried couples themselves. In sum, we question the role of mixed unions as a diluter of differences and an accelerator of integration.

The Intermarriage Life Satisfaction Premium

“…Second, social and family-related pressure still impacts partnering practices, including the choice of marrying outside group boundaries (Yahirun and Kroeger 2019). Given the enduring stigma of intermarrying (Rodríguez-García et al 2016), the often arduous relations with family and in-laws (McNamara et al 1999), or the general lack of social support (Bratter and King 2008;Kroeger and Williams 2011), exogamy might be ultimately experienced as more strenuous than endogamy. On the one hand, as they are more susceptible to the negative appraisal of their union (Van Mol and de Valk 2016), and have a greater geographical proximity to family and friends (particularly when compared to first generation migrants), we may expect a greater long-term negative effect of exogamy on SWB for German natives than for migrants.…”

Blurring of colour lines? Ethnoracially mixed youth in Spain navigating identity

“…To these intercountry and intercultural tensions, the continual sociopolitical conflict during the Spanish protectorate in Morocco (1912Morocco ( -1958 can be added, as can the widespread suspicion of Muslim communities in the Western world since the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Ramberg 2004). Given this history, the fact of being Muslim or even just being from a Muslim-majority country becomes a negatively valued ethnoracial attribute in Spain and tends to elicit social distancing and discriminatory reactions from the mainstream society (see also Rodríguez-García et al 2018;and Rodríguez-García, Solana, and Lubbers 2016). Significantly, being of Moroccan nationality or heritage is usually conflated with being a Muslim in the Spanish context; 'Moroccan' becomes a signifier of Muslim 'otherness,' more so than for other less established Muslim immigrant groups such as Pakistanis or Senegalese.…”

Religión en los procesos de integración: una mirada a la migración mexicana en Alemania

“…En el espacio público se ha reconocido que las uniones mixtas difícilmente erosionan los estereotipos sociales cimentados a través de una larga historia de relaciones de poder y de subordinación. Esto ha sido analizado en contextos como el de España, donde las actitudes negativas y los prejuicios hacia grupos migrantes y sus elementos culturales (como la religión) se mantienen y se refuerzan, incluso bajo el auspicio de un matrimonio mixto (Rodríguez- García, 2016;Rodríguez-García et al, 2016;Rodríguez-García, 2015a). En este sentido, Rodríguez-García ha encontrado que algunas parejas sufren discriminación por parte de la sociedad y, al mismo tiempo, dentro de su propio círculo familiar, "regarding the crossing of ethnocultural borders; this rejection was based on negative stereotypes and prejudices linked to the partner's origin, phenotype (physical traits and appearance), or ethno-cultural characteristics, such a religion, especially Islam" (Rodríguez- García, 2015b: 15).…”