Out-of-Wedlock Births in New York City. I—Sociologic Aspects

Abstract

The authors in a survey based on official records of the New York City''s Department of Health and Welfare reported the following: The percentage of out-of-wedlock births to total births rose from 3.0% in 1946 to 8.0% in 1959. The rise was attributed chiefly to the changing ethnic composition of births in New York City, resulting from the immigration of low income Negroes and Puerto Ricans. The sub-standard environment in which they are forced to live, added to a tradition of common-law relationships has discouraged legal marriage and thus encouraged out-of-wedlock births. Births to non-white mothers though constituting 20.1% of the total births accounted for almost 66% of all out-of-wedlock births. Births to Puerto Rican mothers, constituting 13.6% of the total births, contributed almost 20% of all out-of-wedlock births. Although the out-of-wedlock rate for the white mothers was much lower than for the other ethnic groups, nevertheless a substantial rise in the rate was noted for this group. The average age for the unmarried mother was 24.6 years as compared with 27.6 years for the married mother. Nevertheless about 12% of all unmarried mothers were under 18 years of age. Whereas, almost 75% of the out-of-wedlock births were to white unmarried primiparae only 39.1% such births were to the non-whites and 27.6% to the Puerto Ricans. The unmarried among these 2 ethnic groups tend to follow the birth patterns of the married. About 66% of all unmarried and offspring depended on the Department of Welfare for financial assistance. The belief that the unmarried women on welfare rolls repeat the pregnancy to obtain additional grants was not supported by the data. Moreover, out-of-wedlock children do no constitute the majority of children on the welfare rolls. Almost 66% were born in wedlock. The Puerto Rican unmarried mother on the welfare rolls was the most likely to keep and raise her child and the white least likely. Fourteen out of every 15 Puerto Rican, 9 out of every 10 Negro but only 1 out of every 2 white out-of-wedlock children on Welfare remained in their own homes. Unmarried mothers should be assisted in every way to raise their children in their own homes because of the importance of maternal care and the reduced burden on the taxpayer.