L.A. GOING RETRO WITH `I DO' MARRIAGE RISE BUCKS NATIONAL TREND.Byline: TROY ANDERSON Staff Writer VAN NUYS - Two couples: One from Iran -- a doctor and an artist; the other from Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, -- a film editor and an actress. Drawn together by the most powerful force in the universe, the couples were married Friday in separate civil ceremonies at the wedding chapel at the Registrar-Recorder's Office in Van Nuys. ``I married for love,'' said 25-year-old Studio City resident Melody Tabriz, who was joined with Dr. Amir Tabriz, 29, in their ``American wedding'' a year after they exchanged vows in their native Iran. And love -- as well as tradition -- also was the foundation for Glendale residents Michael James Helm, 32, and Ingrid Beer, 31, who recently found each other on MySpace.com. ``I think we all feel that urge in our hearts. Let's go Let's Go may refer to: Television
``You know, technology is fine, self-help is fine. All that stuff is fine, but there is something missing. I think on all our parts we almost feel a calling within us to go back to that tradition.'' As the nationwide marriage rate has dropped nearly in half since 1970, the two couples are part of what may be the country's first uptick Uptick A transaction occurring at price above its previous transaction. In order for an uptick to occur, a transaction price must be followed by an increased transaction price. in marriages -- in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County of all places. As the entertainment capital of the world -- famous for the bed-hopping antics antics Noun, pl absurd acts or postures [Italian antico something grotesque (from fantastic carvings found in ruins of ancient Rome)] antics plural noun of its Hollywood stars The Hollywood Star was an idiosyncratic gossip tabloid published on an erratic schedule in Hollywood, California by William Kern, who wrote much of the magazine under the pseudonym "Bill Dakota. -- the county trend has experts scratching their heads. ``This is the first increase in marriages I've ever heard of,'' said David Popenoe, a sociology professor and co-director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University Rutgers University, main campus at New Brunswick, N.J.; land-grant and state supported; coeducational except for Douglass College; chartered 1766 as Queen's College, opened 1771. Campuses and Facilities Rutgers maintains three campuses. in New Jersey. ``That doesn't mean it hasn't happened elsewhere, but it just hasn't been publicized pub·li·cize tr.v. pub·li·cized, pub·li·ciz·ing, pub·li·ciz·es To give publicity to. Adj. 1. publicized - made known; especially made widely known publicised . ``It may just be starting -- a little drift upwards.'' Current trend a sharp contrast The trend is in sharp contrast to several decades of plummeting marriage rates nationwide, as people have waited longer to marry, more are cohabitating, fewer divorcees are remarrying and more people are staying single for life. Nationwide, the annual number of marriages per 1,000 unmarried women ages 15 and older fell from 76.5 in 1970 to 40.8 last year, Popenoe said. But in the recent Los Angeles County trend, marriages have risen -- with the number of marriage licenses issued by the Registrar-Recorder's Office climbing from 56,282 in 2002 to 59,664 last year. Popenoe suspects the increase may be because of the growing Latino and Asian communities -- more traditionally known for family-oriented cultures. It also could reflect a growing number of children of baby boomers See generation X. who are moving into their marrying years. ``There might be a slight conservatism among young people compared with their baby boomer baby boomer also ba·by-boom·er n. A member of a baby-boom generation. Noun 1. baby boomer - a member of the baby boom generation in the 1950s; "they expanded the schools for a generation of baby boomers" boomer parents,'' Popenoe said. ``But the marriage rate keeps dropping nationwide. ``One of the worst influences ... is Hollywood and what goes on with the world of celebrities in which marriage -- I won't say it's vanished -- but it's certainly fallen on hard times. ``So maybe this trend in L.A. is more indicative of where things are headed. I don't think 9-11 would do it. You'd need a sort of national religious shift of some kind, religion of some sort in which people began to value long-term stable marriages again in larger numbers.'' The 5.7 percent increase in marriages in the county in the past four years exceeds the 4.4percent growth in the county's population, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the U.S. Census Bureau Noun 1. Census Bureau - the bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census; provides demographic information and analyses about the population of the United States Bureau of the Census . ``This is more than an increase in population and immigrant families that respect marriage,'' said Randy Thomasson, spokesman for the VoteYesMarriage.com coalition, sponsor of The Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Initiative targeted for the 2008 ballot. ``This looks like a rebound for marriage coming on the heels of the shell-shocked kids of the divorce generation. ``A survey came out this year that talked about the fragmentation of American society, how people feel so detached. They don't have as close of relationships as their parents and grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl had. ``Hey, the human heart hasn't changed. ``Everyone wants to be loved. God created us this way. I predict marriage will rise in popularity as the `me' generation departs, the kids-of-divorce generation grows up and the scared generation wants secure relationships more than anything.'' `The times have changed' County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke said she thinks the increase in county marriages reflects a growing, more diverse population. ``Certainly, also, the times have changed,'' Burke said. ``I think for awhile a·while adv. For a short time. Usage Note: Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition such as for, but the two-word form a while may be preceded by a preposition. people were trying to discourage marriage and today there is a greater feeling that people want to get married.'' At the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, Executive Pastor Doug Andersen said he has seen a growing number of marriages among the Latino congregation. Growing hunger for stability ``There is a growing hunger in our society for stability, commitment and traditional values Traditional values refer to those beliefs, moral codes, and mores that are passed down from generation to generation within a culture, subculture or community. Since the late 1970s in the U.S. ,'' Andersen said. ``I do believe that people recognize that all of the pursuits they have made in life to seek to find happiness on their terms aren't going to work until they go back to what is traditional on the basis of how God designed marriage to work.'' Portia Sanders, assistant division manager in the Public Records Division of the Registrar-Recorder's Office, said many people come to California to get married from around the world. ``For some reason, a lot of people like to say they got married in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. ,'' Sanders said. At the Van Nuys office, Supervisor Tony Rivers said he has seen an increase in couples getting married, even older couples. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if it's due to that everybody wants to be secure with a partner, or the fact the dating scene has gotten old,'' Rivers said. For the Helms, who are forming their own film production company, the stars aligned Friday as they began their ``life journey'' together. The couple met at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with campuses located at 120 Madison Avenue in New York City (in a landmark building designed by famed architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club) and 1336 North La Brea Avenue in more than a decade ago. Beer had come from Michigan, Helm from Colorado. Helm said that when he first saw her, he was ``completely taken'' and mentioned to his friends that she was ``the girl you would marry.'' But Beer was dating someone else, and although she and Helm became close friends, they went their separate ways for the next decade. At a friend's urging, Beer signed up one day on MySpace.com. So did Helm. They received electronic ads asking them to register with the arts academy they had attended, and they did. ``All of a sudden, I saw her picture and I flipped,'' Helm said. ``I wrote her an e-mail and said, `Of all the gin-joints in all the towns in all the world and she walked into this one.' And the rest is history.'' troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com (213) 974-8985 CAPTION(S): 3 photos, chart Photo: (1 -- color) Deputy Commissioner Antonias Sillman marries Melody Tabriz, 25, and Dr. Amir Tabriz, 29, on Friday in Van Nuys. (2) Glendale residents Michael James Helm, 32, and Ingrid Beer, 31, who recently found each other on MySpace.com, are married Friday at the Registrar-Recorder's Office in Van Nuys. (3) Deputy Commissioner Antonias Sillman marries Melody Tabriz, 25, and Dr. Amir Tabriz, 29, on Friday at the Registrar- Recorder's Office in Van Nuys. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Chart: The marrying kind SOURCE: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Office |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion