United States

What Does Family Mean to You?

Families are changing dramatically in the United States.

Nearly half of young adults 18 to 29 have a stepsister or stepbrother, about three times as many as those 65 or older, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

More babies are born to unmarried women, accounting for about 40 percent of births in 2011, up from only 5 percent in 1960.

Intermarriage by race is ever more common: 15 percent of marriages in 2010, double the number in 1980, the Pew Research Center found.

More changes are on way now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that marriage for same-sex couples is legal in all states.

Meanwhile, the world’s largest gathering of Roman Catholic families will take place in Philadelphia this fall. The World Meeting of Families is scheduled for Sept. 22 through 25 and Pope Francis will attend as part of his visit to the United States.

As the definition of American families continues to evolve, we would like to hear from you.

What does your family mean to you? How do you define family? Has your idea of families changed over the years?

If you would like to talk to a reporter for an article, please reach out to localstories@nbcuni.com and include a phone number where we can reach you.

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