Family Formation and Marital Selectivity among Colombian and Dominican Immigrants in New York City

The extent of family formation in the U.S. and patterns of marital selectivity of recent Hispanic immigrants residing in New York City are described.

Abstract

"Utilizing data from a 1981 survey of Dominican and Colombian immigrants to New York City, and from 1975 marriage certificates for the entire city, this article describes the extent of family formation in the U.S. and patterns of marital selectivity of recent Hispanic immigrants residing in New York City. A core goal of the analysis is the provision of indicators of the extent of and nature of integration processes at an early stage of the immigration." It is found first that "Hispanic immigrants in New York City are clearly long-term settlers, although not necessarily permanent ones. They are forming nuclear families in this country to a considerably greater extent than they are either transferring families from the origin country or residing as unattached temporary migrants. Second, a significant minority of marriages contracted in this country are with spouses of different national origin groups, indicating an openness in ethnic boundaries in the host society context."