Exogamous and Endogamous Marriages among Italians and Mexican ...

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Abstract

This paper is a study of exogamous and endogamous marriages among Italians and Mexicans living in Texas. The theoretical rationale of the work is that the rate of exogamy is a standard by which to measure the degree to which an ethnic group has adapted to and acculturated with a core group. Italians and Mexicans were selected for the study because a majority of both groups represent stark differences in the importance of their ethnic identity. Mexicans place a higher priority than Italians do on social and cultural characteristics such as language, religion, and ancestry. This study is based on the constructionist approach to the study of ethnicity. The constructionist approach emphasizes the contingency and fluidity of ethnic identity, treating it as something which is made in specific social and historical contexts.