Impact of Expectation Fulfillment on Post-Migration Marital Happiness Among Mainland Chinese Wives With Hong Kong Husbands

Abstract

This article presents a study on the impact of expectation fulfillment on post-migration marital happiness among mainland Chinese wives with Hong Kong husbands. According to researchers there has been an increasing number of cross-regional marriages between Chinese residents in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Typically, women from China are married to men from Hong Kong. Many of these Chinese women then migrate to Hong Kong to be reunified with husbands. As the number of cross-regional marriages is growing rapidly, marital adjustment and satisfaction among these families has become a major concern for social service providers and policy makers. Although the public and local media generally believe that migrant wives from China suffer from adjustment difficulties, surprisingly, there is limited empirical evidence focusing on marital satisfaction among this population. Studies have shown that women in intermarriages have been the most vulnerable to receiving criticism, discrimination, and even family abuse. A low level of marital satisfaction between couples of cross-regional marriage was frequently reported by local social service agencies. A recent study reported that migrant wives from China were easily agitated, suffered mood swings or depression and usually possessed low self-esteem.