Interethnic marriage is a form of

exogamy Exogamy is the social norm of mating or marrying outside one's social group. The group defines the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. One form of exogamy is dual exogamy, in which tw ...

that involves a

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

between spouses who belong to different

ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

History

In more ancient times, some marriages between distinctly different tribes and nations were due to royalty trying to form alliances with or to influence other kingdoms or to dissuade marauders or slave traders. Two examples, Hermodike I c.800BCThe Cambridge Ancient History, edited by John Boederman, Cambridge University Press, 1997, pg 832 and Hermodike II c.600BC were Greek princesses from the house of

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans during the Trojan War. He was the son (or grandson) of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of C ...

who married kings from what is now Central Turkey. These unions resulted in the transfer of ground-breaking technological skills into Ancient Greece, respectively, the phonetic written script and the use of

coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

age (to use a token currency, where the value is guaranteed by the state). Both inventions were rapidly adopted by surrounding nations through trade and cooperation and have been of fundamental benefit to the progress of civilization.

Effects

One study conducted on Africa, showed that the regions with higher levels of inter-ethnic marriages have lower levels of ethnic conflict.

Europe

Ireland

To prevent the English in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

from integrating into Irish society, the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

passed the

Statutes of Kilkenny The Statutes of Kilkenny were a series of thirty-five acts enacted by the Parliament of Ireland at Kilkenny in 1366, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. Background to the statutes By the middle decades of the ...

in 1366. The statutes decreed that intermarriage between English settlers and Irish natives was forbidden. These acts were limited in area to

the Pale The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...

and enforcement is debated.

Asia

China

During the

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...

-led

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

(1644–1912), Manchu and Han bannerwomen were punished if they married Han civilians.

South Korea

In recent years, the number of inter-ethnic marriages in Korea has increased substantially. However, most of non-Korean spouses of Koreans are other Asians. The non-Korean spouses are often from Vietnam, Japan, China, Laos, Philippines, Bangladesh, Russia and even Peru. Before 1990, most inter-ethnic marriages were between Korean women and foreign men, mainly from the United States or Japan. Marriages between Korean men and foreign women grew due to urbanization of Korea. In 2017, the ratio of Korean Men and Foreign Women to Korean Women to Foreign Men marriages were 14.9 to 6 (Korean Office of Statistics, 2018). Men in rural cities were deemed undesirable for marriage by Korean women and would then have to seek out a foreign wife. Korean women tend to move to urban cities to increase the chances of finding a Korean husband (Lim, 2010). New rules for international marriage were introduced 2014 to reduce the divorce rates, it became mandatory that the foreigner learns basic Korean and the family must make a minimum salary of $1,500 per month. The Multicultural Family Support Act was passed in 2007. Over the years, Multicultural Family Centers have opened around Korea to assist the foreigners in adapting to their new lifestyle. These centers work to help soften the cultural shock and promote happier marriages despite the difficulties that the spouse might face. A 2013 study concluded: “Most inter-ethnic and interracial marriages take the form of a speedy arranged marriage via matchmaking agencies and religious organizations” (Chung & Yoo, 2013).

References

{{Authority control Exogamy