Professor Claims That Everything You Think You Know About "Mail Order Brides" Is Probably Wrong

DALLAS, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Julia Meszaros spent twelve years researching and writing Economies of Gender: Masculinity, "Mail Order Brides," and Women's Labor, a provocative exploration of the international dating industry. Far from confirming stereotypes, her work challenges simplistic narratives of human trafficking and scams, instead uncovering the economic and emotional dynamics that shape these relationships.

Through extensive fieldwork in Colombia, Ukraine, and the Philippines, Meszaros interviewed hundreds of men and women seeking love across borders, as well as the matchmakers, translators, and tour organizers behind the scenes. What she discovered may surprise you.

"The common misperception of mail order brides as victims of human trafficking has long been debunked among academics," Meszaros explains, "but the media has clung to that view. Women are still portrayed as naïve, desperate, or gold diggers, while men are cast as defective—unattractive, socially awkward, or even abusive."

Her book dismantles these common myths. Instead, it reveals how international romance tours function as "intimate frontiers," where men seek to reclaim what they see as lost in the West: a vision of traditional femininity. These encounters are not just about romance—they are about strengthening men's feelings of masculinity as well.

Letting Them Speak

What makes Economies of Gender compelling is Meszaros' decision to let participants speak in their own voices. Men share intimate, sometimes painful accounts of past relationships and their hopes for new ones. One client reflected on the end of his first marriage: "I think we just grew apart. She had a couple of internet affairs, and my daughters knew about it, and I didn't. Finally, I found out about it."

Industry insiders, too, describe why men feel drawn to these services: the relief of being "forgiven, understood, not questioned as much," and the possibility of starting again.

Inside the Industry

The book also provides a rare insider's view of the matchmaking industry itself. International matchmakers—often vilified alongside their clients—emerge in Meszaros' work as complex actors navigating cultural, economic, and personal motivations.

All of the tours she followed were hosted by A Foreign Affair, the world's largest international matchmaker based in Phoenix, Arizona. Its president gave her open access, never requesting to review the manuscript, but only that she be honest about her experiences. In addition, Meszaros interviewed staff and clients from at least seven other companies, revealing an industry that—unlike most dating apps—is closely regulated by the U.S. government and explicitly designed to foster real-life encounters.

Beyond Stereotypes

By tracing the global flow of intimacy across borders, Economies of Gender broadens the conversation on gender, power, and the commodification of relationships in a globalized world. It shows how love, economics, and gender politics intersect in unexpected ways—raising urgent questions about how global inequality and shifting cultural norms shape our most personal choices.

Who Should Read This Book

Economies of Gender will appeal to a wide audience: scholars and students of sociology, gender studies, globalization, and anthropology; journalists and policy makers interested in migration, regulation, and cross-border relationships; and general readers curious about how love and money intersect within a global dating market.

For anyone who has ever wondered what really drives the "mail order bride" industry—and what it reveals the challenges of dating and romance in the 21st century—this book offers an unflinching and thought-provoking perspective in the age of dating apps.

Media Contact:
Julia Meszaros
4146172392
[email protected] 

SOURCE Dr. Julia Meszaros