Public Opinion Polls vs. Social Science Research
A Gallup report published in 2021 showed Americans had steadily approved of Black-White marriages since 1958. However, recent research with married Black-White couples suggests that we are still negatively impacted by racism, discrimination, and family disapproval. Below you can compare the Gallup data and the research results. It seems that Americans may be providing socially acceptable answers to pollsters rather than their actual attitudes about Black-White married couples.
Gallup Public Opinion Results
Public Approval of Black-White Marriages Within the United States from 1958-2021
Social Science Research
Black-White couples experienced relationship stigma from family and friends leading to depression and anxiety (Rosenthal et al., 2019).
Skinner and Hudac (2016) found that research participants responded to images of interracial couples with disgust leading to dehumanization.
Black-White couples endured parental disapproval that created a sense of rejection, judgement, and anxiety (Bell & Hastings, 2015).
Skinner and Rae (2019) discovered robust explicit and implict bias against Black-White couples among Black and White respondents.
Black-White couples reported a decrease in physical and emotional health due to the stress of racism and discrimination (Yu & Zhang, 2017).
Djamba and Kimuna (2014) utilized data from the General Social Survey to conclude 46% of Blacks and 73% of Whites opposed their relative marrying interracially.