An international marriage agency is a business that endeavors to introduce men and women of different countries for the purpose of marriage, dating, or correspondence. In the twentieth century, the trend primarily involved women living in developing countries seeking men from more developed nations. This article delves into the phenomenon of "mail order brides," specifically focusing on the African context, examining the historical roots, economic factors, legal frameworks, and socio-cultural aspects that influence this practice.
Historical Context
The concept of finding a spouse through intermediaries or catalogs is not new. In the early 20th century, the institution of "picture brides" developed due to immigration restrictions. European American men sought financial success in the migration West, but few women lived there at this time, so it was hard for these men to settle down and start a family. During the California gold rush in 1849, there were at least three men for every woman, and by 1852 the ratio had increased to nearly seven men for every woman. They attempted to attract women living back East; the men wrote letters to churches and published personal advertisements in magazines and newspapers.
In return, the women would write to the men and send them photographs of themselves. Courtship was conducted by letter, until a woman agreed to marry a man she had never met. Many women wanted to escape their present way of living, gain financial security and see what life on the frontier could offer them. The Benton brothers began their search in Maryland, posting "Brides Wanted" flyers. They held meetings at which they described the territory and promised free passage west. More than 100 women accompanied the Bentons back to Oregon. Asa Mercer performed a similar recruiting role for Seattle. Only 11 women accompanied Mercer back on his first trip, but his second was more successful, with more than 100 women travelling to Seattle, accompanied by a New York Times journalist to chronicle the journey.
In the early 20th century, answering matrimonial ads was a route to entering the United States after immigration limits became more restrictive. It was also a means of escaping war-torn regions. Key variables determining the relationship between migration and marriage were demographics, legal policies, cultural perceptions and technology. Imbalances between the number of available women and the number of men desiring partners created a demand for immigrant women. As a result of this imbalance, a new system of "picture brides" developed in predominantly male settlements.
Economic and Social Factors
Economic and social conditions for women in Russia and other Post-Soviet states are a motivational factor in finding foreign arrangements. Many international brides come from developing countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia, and occasionally from South Asia as well. Many women wanted to escape their present way of living, gain financial security and see what life on the frontier could offer them. Due to the rising cost of paying for a bride in China, some Chinese men from working class communities have paid marriage brokers for wives from Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Although many of the women from Vietnam willingly marry for love or economic reasons, some are kidnapped and sold by human traffickers.
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Cultural Perceptions and Practices
In some cases women were recruited based on their physical appearance, with an emphasis placed on youth and virginity. This is found among boutique agencies, most of which cater to wealthy men from other Asian nations. The New York Times reports, "Every month, hundreds of South Korean men fly to Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal and Uzbekistan on special trips. An anthropological study on Filipina wives and Korean men by professor Kim Min-jung of the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Kangwon National University found that these Korean men find it difficult to marry Korean women, so they look for girls in poorer countries with difficult economic circumstances. The Korean men feel that because of the difficult circumstances from which the Filipina women come, cultural differences and the language barrier, they "will not run away".
"According to the poll, 32.1 percent of the men said they felt the biggest benefit of marrying foreign women is their lack of interest in their groom's educational background and financial or social status. The women were advertised in online and offline "catalogs" to South Korean men. On 24 May 2011, one South Korean man "stabbed his Vietnamese wife to death while the couple's 19-day-old baby lay next to her. The man, a farmer, had been matched up with his foreign bride through a broker.
In 2010, another Vietnamese woman was killed by her husband a week after they were married. In November 2009, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Luis T. Cruz warned Filipina women against marrying Korean men.
Legal and Regulatory Aspects
On 4 June 2001, Turkmenian President Saparmurat Niyazov (also known as Turkmenbashi) authorized a decree that required foreigners to pay a $50,000 fee to marry a Turkmen citizen (regardless of how they met), and to live in the country and own property for one year. In 2005, President Alexander Lukashenko attempted to regulate "marriage agencies" in Belarus and make it difficult for them to operate. The Philippines prohibits the business of organizing or facilitating marriages between Filipinas and foreign men.
immigration law provides protection for brides once they arrive. "In 1996, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act... On 6 January 2006, President George W. The TJC insisted that special legislation was needed to protect them. The TJC asked Congress to consider several notable cases mentioned in the Congressional Record. Two federal lawsuits (European Connections & Tours v. Gonzales, N.D. Ga. 2006; AODA v. Gonzales, S.D. Ohio 2006) sought to challenge IMBRA on constitutional grounds. The AODA case was terminated when the plaintiffs withdrew their claim.
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Marriage agencies are legal in almost all countries. To bring a spouse into the United States, Form I-130 must be filed, which is an immigrant petition on behalf of a relative. After that, a K-3/K-4 & V-1/V-2 Entry Visa for Spouse must be filed. The Immigration and Nationalization Service advises that "in some cases, it may be to a couple's advantage to pursue a K-1 fiancée visa before getting married. In other cases, applicants may find that it is more cost effective to get married abroad and then apply for an immigrant visa overseas. In many cases, the K-1 visa application process takes just as long as the immigrant visa process". The cost of the visa may be around $2000. Couples must remain together at least two years.
Costs Associated with International Marriages
The cost of pursuing a foreign bride can vary widely depending on the agencies involved, the destination, and the legal requirements. These costs may include:
- Agency fees
- Travel expenses
- Visa and immigration fees
- Legal and administrative costs
- Living expenses during the courtship period
According to immigration statistics from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Colombia has ranked in the top 10 of countries since 1999 from which fiancées have emigrated for the United States. According to Colombia Decrees No. 2668/88 and 1556/89, passed in 1988, foreigners are allowed to marry nationals in the country provided they supply the proper paperwork, including a birth certificate and proof that both parties are not already married.
Case Studies and Examples
There are numerous examples of international marriage dynamics. For instance, previously not requiring the Canadian citizen to prove minimum-income requirements (as has been a long-standing requirement of United States immigration laws).
African Brides Meet and Marry African Mail Order Brides
For the filles du roi, the government not only paid to recruit and transport them, it also provided each woman with a dowry of at least 50 livres. As with the "tobacco wives" of Jamestown, the filles du roi had the right to choose their partners and could refuse any suitor. These were known as Pelican girls (for the first ship that brought women to the colony, Le Pélican). This program was not successful; the women had been recruited with false descriptions of the struggling colony and had many complaints about their treatment. The Órfãs do Rei (orphans of the king) were Portuguese girl orphans who were sent from Portugal to overseas colonies during the Portuguese Empire as part of Portugal's colonization efforts.
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Table: Costs Associated with International Marriages (Illustrative)
| Cost Component | Estimated Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Agency Fees | $1,000 - $5,000 |
| Travel Expenses | $500 - $3,000 |
| Visa and Immigration Fees | $2,000 - $5,000 |
| Legal and Administrative Costs | $500 - $2,000 |
| Living Expenses | Varies |
