Measurement matters? The new census race question and its consequences for disparities research

Citation

Perez, Anthony Daniel; Harris, Kathleen Mullan; Halpern, Carolyn Tucker; Hummer, Robert A.; Chen, Ping; & Dean, Sarah (2018). Measurement matters? The new census race question and its consequences for disparities research. Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America. Denver, CO.

Abstract

In 2020, the U.S. decennial census is slated to count Hispanics as a racial category for the first time in nearly a century. While these changes represent a welcome departure from the existing "two question" format that separates race from Hispanic ethnicity, the new Census measure is incompatible with the previous format. With an eye toward these impending challenges, we preview the changes to come with an analysis of a new, Census 2020-style race measure recently adopted for Wave V of Add Health. Preliminary results suggest that the new, Hispanic-inclusive race measure is likely to have only modest impacts on the measured size of most race/ethnic groups, while dramatically reducing the rate of non-response and "other race" responses to the current standalone race question. Sensitivity analysis also suggests that the "Hispanic race" population captured by the new measure is smaller and more disadvantaged on a number of key outcomes.

URL

https://paa.confex.com/paa/2018/webprogrampreliminary/Paper24448.html

Keyword(s)

measurement census race ethnicity Hispanics methodology

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America

Series Title

Merging race and Hispanic origin measures

Author(s)

Perez, Anthony Daniel
Harris, Kathleen Mullan
Halpern, Carolyn Tucker
Hummer, Robert A.
Chen, Ping
Dean, Sarah

Year Published

2018

City of Publication

Denver, CO

Reference ID

8446