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A few quick comments.
I'm firmly in the "Irene pushed Clare" camp. Like Catlady, I was surprised to see that it's regarded as ambiguous. Given Irene's controlling nature and the threat that Clare represented to her settled life, I think it's the explanation that makes the most sense. I suppose you could have An American Tragedy-type situation, where Irene didn't push Clare, but it was the very handy resolution to her problem - so long as she wasn't accused.
It is implied that Irene and Brian have a sexless marriage. I'd be more inclined to think that Irene has a low or non-existent sexual drive than that she had an erotic attraction to Clare. An interesting question is when Irene and Brian stopped sleeping together; perhaps after she had her two children? That among his various purposes for Irene was as sperm donor?
I think Passing can be both about race in America explicitly, but also be a metaphor for other conditions of passing. Race in this case provided the necessary context and also was what Larsen knew.
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