How Intermarried Couples Identify Their Children’s Race in the 2000 Census

Zhenchao Qian, Ohio State University

For the first time in the census history, Americans were able to mark one or more racial categories in the 2000 Census to classify their race. The emergence of this two or more races classification represents a significant change in racial statistics and the treatment of this population may affect race-based policies in the United States. This study examines how intermarried couples in the 2000 Census identify their children’s race and compare differences in children’s racial identification by race of the racial minority parent (African American, Latino, Asian American, or American Indian). I focus on how couple-level characteristics and neighborhood compositions affect racial identification of children of intermarried couples. This study compares parents’ racial combination with the child’s race, which provides a picture of race formation processes of these children.