BACKGROUND
Switzerland is a notably compelling context of immigration. It has one of the largest and most diversified migrant populations in Europe, while currently enforcing restrictive integration policies. No comprehensive study however has looked at intermarriage patterns to test the segmented (as opposed to classic) assimilation theory within the Swiss context of immigration.
OBJECTIVE
We explore the role of origin group and birth cohort in the emergence and dissolution of mixed marriages in Switzerland, among both natives and immigrants. Using the general framework of segmented assimilation, we also test hypotheses related to reactive ethnicity, opportunity structure, and the normalization of divorce.
METHODS
Based on a sample of 12,827 native and immigrant respondents from the 2013 Swiss Family and Generations Survey, we fit competing risks models for entry into first marriage, and Cox proportional hazards model for entry into first divorce.
RESULTS
We find evidence of a segmented marriage market, with migrants from neighboring Western European countries having higher chances of getting and staying married to a native spouse. Moreover, migrants from younger cohorts are progressively less likely to marry a Swiss native.
CONCLUSIONS
As predicted by the segmented assimilation theory, results reflect the differences in integration pathways between immigrant groups. Generational trends towards less (inter)marriage with natives among young immigrants are suggestive of the transformation of marriage market conditions (e.g., an increasing and replenished migrant population) over the last decades. A higher propensity towards endogamy among Turks and ex-Yugoslavs also reveals the reactive ethnicity of marginalized groups in response to an increasingly hostile immigration climate.