10/8/2008
Statewide Survey Reveals Hispanic Marriage Paradox: Want Marriage but Don't Marry
October 8, 2008—Most Hispanic Californians hope for marriage someday, but for many, this hope is not being realized, according to the results of a statewide survey released in anticipation of the 1st Annual Hispanic Marriage Day this Sunday, October 12, 2008.
From the historic California Marriage Baseline Survey commissioned by the California Healthy Marriages Coalition—the largest, most comprehensive survey ever conducted about the state of marriage in California—seventy-five percent of Hispanics surveyed reported they would like to be married someday. Yet, the gap between hopes and reality is vast, with one-third of Hispanic adults having never been married, which is twice that of non-Hispanics.
One reason for this may be that almost half of Hispanics in California regard marriage as an uncertain venture. Nearly three times as many Hispanics (48% vs. 17% for non-Hispanics) report that marriage is too risky because of what they see as a high chance of divorce.
How do Hispanics bridge this gap between marital hopes and reality? Ninety-eight percent of Hispanic respondents who have taken a Marriage Education or Relationship Skills Training course say the information was helpful, and 85% reported the courses strengthened their relationship.
Studies show widespread benefits from Marriage Education, including reduced concern about marital stability This survey revealed that more than two-thirds of California’s Hispanics would consider attending a Marriage Education class if it were available at little or no cost, and 80% would be interested in taking a Premarital Education class.
AMOR de Orange County is a nonprofit organization in Santa Ana that works to address those needs. “Hispanics really take to Marriage Education and they learn important skills in communication and conflict resolution that help their marriages, and that really bring joy to their lives,” says AMOR’s Executive Director Ariel Meza. AMOR has a grant from the California Healthy Marriages Coalition that helps the organization make these classes available for very low cost. “Plus, we have additional support from within the Hispanic community because these programs really serve important needs of our people,” says Meza.
Upon this historic 1st Annual Hispanic Marriage Day, the California Healthy Marriages Coalition (CHMC) website is featuring many resources for strengthening Hispanic marriages, including online links to Relationship/Marriage Education classes in Spanish and English around the state, a variety of resource materials about how to create healthy marriages, and fun ideas to celebrate Hispanic Marriage Day in your own family. These are available at www.CaMarriage.com
The California Marriage Baseline Survey was conducted in January 2008 by telephone with 2,005 California adults by Interviewing Services of America and Gomez Research. The margin of error is 2.2%.
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