What happens after segmented assimilation? An exploration of intermarriage and 'mixed race' young people in Britain

Abstract

Theorizing on segmented assimilation has usefully spurred debate about the experiences and positions of the second generation in the US, and more recently, Europe. This theory has focused primarily on how young people fare in secondary schooling, and the crucial role that families and ethnic social networks can play in supporting second generation individuals. But what happens when young people, who have experienced selective acculturation, leave home and enter into mainstream higher education? Given the very significant trends toward interracial dating and partnering in many multiethnic societies, what may such unions, and the birth of a multiracial cohort suggest for our understandings of ‘integration’ and the differential pathways that minority individuals can follow? First, I address this question by exploring the link between intermarriage and mobility in Britain. Second, I explore the racial identifications and experiences of disparate types of ‘mixed race’ young people in Britain.