William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice
Article Title
Mail Order Feminism
Abstract
This Essay will argue that America’s current marriage crisis is a problem that could be solved by encouraging mail order marriages. Specifically, Part I of this Article will show how the current marriage crisis is the result of an increasing educational gap between American men and women that is leaving less educated men with few marriage prospects. It will further argue that the loss of marriage prospects is concerning both because marriage is often the social institution that supports men as their job prospects falter and because it has the potential to create an angry and dangerous underclass of men who feel bypassed by the American dream. Part II of this Article will suggest mail order marriage as a solution to this crisis and it will address, and reject, the commonly held assumption that mail order marriages are a vehicle for abuse. Part III will further demonstrate that mail order brides are not exploited and that like the men, brides also receive significant benefits from mail order marriages. Specifically, this section will argue that mail order brides are using marriage as a form of empowerment and that it is time we start viewing them as feminists, rather than victims.