MARITAL ASSIMILATION OF POLISH-CATHOLIC AMERICANS: A CASE STUDY IN SYRACUSE,N.Y., 1940–1970

The spatial pattern of marriages in conjunction with ethnic identity is used to study one case of assimilation in America. Changing marriage patterns for Polish-American Catholics in Syracuse, New York between 1940 and 1970 reveal a considerable increase in exogamy based upon national origin. Exogamy is associated with residential outmovement of Polish-Americans from the ethnic core, and to a lesser extent it has occurred among those Polish-Americans in the core. A pan-Catholic group is emerging because Polish-Catholics are marrying other Catholics.