Xn. Fu et Tb. Heaton, Implications of status exchange in intermarriage for Hawaiians and their sovereignty movement, SOCIOL PERS, 42(1), 1999, pp. 97-116
Intermarriage, which is common in Hawai'i, has had a profound effect on Haw
aiians. Ethnic Hawaiians have comparatively low socioeconomic status compar
ed with other groups in Hawai'i, and status exchange in intergroup marriage
s often prompts high-status Hawaiians to marry out. This article examines m
arriage certificate data in the state of Hawai'i from 1983 to 1994 and focu
ses on status-based selective outmarriage of Hawaiians. Evidence suggests t
hat Hawaiians with higher status are significantly more likely to marry int
o high-status groups while those who marry endogamously tend to have low st
atus. Along with continued interethnic marriage, the process of status exch
ange is expected to have a negative impact on the social well-being of futu
re generations of Hawaiians and on the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.