As Valentine’s Day approaches, interracial and interethnic married couples are optimistic about their relationships in America despite ongoing societal challenges. More than half of interracial and interethnic married couples surveyed in a University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) study thought that things had gotten better for such couples in our society over the five-year period from 2017 to 2022.

From left, Geoffrey Greif, PhD, MSW; Victoria Stubbs, LICSW, LCSW-C; and Michael E. Woolley, PhD, MSW

These positive feelings persisted during a time that included a global pandemic, a rise in violent attacks and hate against Asian American-Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and the murder of George Floyd.

However, the study found that constant exposure to such tragic events and trauma can take a toll on these marriages, which these couples are likely navigating during the latest cultural and political shift.

“As people from different races and ethnicities are able to work out their love and their relationship, how they have navigated these differences between themselves, their family, in most cases, to find support, is mainly by listening to each other and by communicating,” said author and University of Maryland, Baltimore Distinguished University Professor Geoffrey L. Greif, PhD, MSW. “We pose the obvious — that maybe how society needs to move forward to bridge the gap between people is by having a greater ability to listen and to accept, which is what these couples do to manage their differences.”

The 2022 survey of 413 partners in interracial and interethnic marriages was published in the December edition of Social Work Research. The paper, “Interracial and Interethnic Marriages: Given Recent History, Have Things Been Getting Better?”, is part of a larger series of collaborative mixed-methods intermarriage research authored by Greif, private clinician Victoria D. Stubbs, LICSW, LCSW-C, and retired UMSSW professor Michael E. Woolley, PhD, MSW.

The project is expected to culminate in a book with the working title “When Family Relations are Race Relations: The Strengths and Challenges of Interracial and Interethnic Marriage at a Time of Great Division.” It is expected to be published in the fall by Columbia University Press.

The survey included 63 questions asking respondents about themselves and their spouse; their spousal relationship; and their experiences related to being in an intermarriage with their extended family, their spouse’s extended family, and their friends and interacting with people in the wider social sphere.

One question asked respondents whether they thought things were getting “better, the same, or worse” for interracial and interethnic married couples and their families. The response options to that question included a 0-4 scale ranging from 0 for much worse, 2 for about the same and 4 for much better.

Perceptions of Change for Intermarried Couples from 2017 to 2022 

Living in a supportive, active, and connected community with several multiracial and/or multiethnic families is a major theme of what contributes to these positive feelings, according to the study.

“These two variables may be closely aligned, which given both were significant in the model, suggests this is an important dynamic showing couples’ awareness of how important it is for them [and potentially their children] to identify as an interracial couple and live around folks who look like them and may think and feel similarly about race and ethnicity issues,” the authors wrote.

Couples who intentionally sought out social groups and settings with other interracial and interethnic couples, lived in a community with other multiracial or multiethnic families, have extended family support, had children, or had been discouraged as children from being in interracial/interethnic relationships thought things were getting better.

Most respondents said they are frequently aware or made aware that they are in an interracial or interethnic marriage, signaling that their differences are often on their minds. These couples also rate the quality of their marriage as about the same as other marriages, rather than significantly stronger.

“However, a family history of being discouraged, when growing up, from marrying someone of a different race or ethnicity also predicted feeling things have been getting better,” the authors wrote.

The consciousness became a talking point during events such as the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black Minnesota man who died in police custody, or during the rise in AAPI hate and violence during the global pandemic because of the COVID-19’s origin in China and how that was characterized by the first administration of President Donald Trump.

“There’s a quote from one woman who delivers newspapers and is Asian American, who during an interview told us, ‘I now have my husband with me in my car. When I go out, I feel safer when I’m out there with my husband, who is white. I feel he protects me,’ ” Greif said, adding that the sentiment reaffirms Pew Research Center findings on Asian Americans’ concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study will help inform social workers of these couples’ viewpoints and also can serve as a reminder to clinicians to check their biases.

“The first thing a social worker or any clinician needs to be aware of is their own feelings,” Greif said. 

About the University of Maryland School of Social Work 

The University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) is one of six University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools and an interdisciplinary School of Graduate Studies dedicated to improving the human condition and serving the public good of Maryland and beyond. Nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report, UMSSW is one of the largest and most respected schools of social work in the country. UMSSW educates the majority of social workers in Maryland with over 80 full-time faculty members and a strong focus on access, collaboration, and engagement among individuals and communities. In addition to the school’s academic side, UMSSW excels in translating research to practice through partnerships with state and local government agencies and organizations. The school’s Center for Restorative Change, Promise Heights, Family Connections, and Institute for Innovation and Implementation are all very active in helping with the social work needs in Baltimore and beyond. 

About the University of Maryland, Baltimore

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) was founded in 1807 as the Maryland College of Medicine, which now stands as the nation’s oldest public medical school. In response to growing social and cultural needs, UMB’s mission has evolved and grown tremendously. Widely recognized as a preeminent institution, UMB serves as the academic health, law, and social work university of the University System of Maryland, and is guided by a mission of excellence in education, research, clinical care, and public service.

UMB is a thriving academic health center combining cutting-edge biomedical research, exceptional patient care, and nationally ranked academic programs. With extramural funding totaling $638 million in Fiscal Year 2024, each tenured/tenure-track faculty member generates an average of $1.45 million in research grants each year. More than 3,200 faculty members conduct leading-edge research and develop solutions and technologies that impact human health locally and around the world. World-class facilities and cores, as well as interprofessional centers and institutes, allow faculty to investigate pressing questions in a highly collaborative fashion. As a result, the more than 7,000 students, postdocs, and trainees directly benefit from working and learning alongside leading experts as they push the boundaries of their fields. For a listing of the organized research centers and institutes, visit: umaryland.edu/research/umb-research-profile/research-centers-and-institutions.