Commenting on the rising number of mixed marriages, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said the figures give hope in terms of racial integration and show that Singapore is truly a melting pot as marriage is the greatest show of acceptance. It also indicates that marrying outside one’s race is no longer a big deal. She noted that many of the Chinese men who took brides of the “others” category are likely to have married foreigners from neighbouring countries. These men are likely to be older and less educated and may have problems finding a Singaporean spouse.