New Approaches to the Measurement of Race and Ethnicity

David Harris, University of Michigan

In this paper I review existing and future approaches to racial classification, and the interplay between these approaches and theories of race. Attention will focus on indicators of self-reported and observed race. I also explore the potential for using emerging genetic tools to classify by race. The importance of these topics has increased in recent years as immigration and interracial marriage have combined to further diversify American society, and data sources have used varying methods to collect racial data.