One Drop, No Rule: Identity Options among Multiracial Children in the U.S. |
One Drop, No Rule: Identity Options among Multiracial Children in the U.S.
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association
Marriott Hotel, Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Philadelphia, PA,
2005-08-12
Anthony Daniel Perez, Assistant Professor
Chapel Hill Department of Sociology
University of North Carolina
This paper examines the links between family background characteristics and patterns of identification among multiracial children in the U.S. I improve upon previous studies of multiracial classification by expanding the identity choice set to include a broader and more thorough range of classificatory options. In undertaking this analysis, I examine the large, nationally representative 5% Public Use Microdata from the Census 2000 long form. I find that children living in two-parent households with one white parent and one non-white parent are almost equally likely to identify (or be identified) as white, non-white, or multiracial. I further note that: 1.) Patterns of identification vary widely by mixed race subgroup and socioeconomic status. 2.) Racial differences in identification vary by socioeconomic status. 3.) The pathways to “white passing” are related but distinct from pathways to multiracial identification.
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Tags: Anthony Daniel Perez, Anthony Perez, hypodescent, one-drop rule