C. Clients of IMBs
An INS survey found that most men who use IMBs are white, educated, economically successful, and politically conservative. The men are usually in their mid- to late thirties and primarily from metropolitan areas. Many seek younger, submissive wives with traditional values. According to Dr. Gladys Symons of the University of Calgary, men are searching for women who will be dependent on them and submissive.
It is estimated that over 200,000 women use IMBs to find husbands. These women are predominantly under the age of 26. Many are from countries where women are oppressed, where they have few educational or professional opportunities, and where violence against women is condoned. A majority of the women using IMBs are from Asian countries or from the former Soviet Union. According to a Senate hearing in 2004, the countries with the highest number of mail order brides to immigrate to the United States were Russia, Ukraine, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.
