From many strands: ethnic and racial groups in contemporary America

Abstract

The 1980 census introduced a radical change in the measurement of ethnicity by gathering information on ancestry for all respondents regardless of how long ago their forebears migrated to America and by allowing respondents of mixed background to list more than 1 ancestry. This volume is 1 of a series aimed at converting the vast statistical yield of the 1980 census into authoritative analyses of major changes and trends in American life. FROM MANY STRANDS focuses on each of the 16 principal European ethnic groups as well as on major non-European groups such as Blacks Asians American Indians and Hispanics. The authors describe the differences and similarities across a range of dimensions including regional distribution and metropolitan composition income and occupation marriage patterns and education. Some findings lend support to the melting pot theory of assimilation; levels of educational attainment have become more comparable and in-group marriage is declining. Other findings suggest the persistence of pluralism; settlement patterns resist change ethnicity continues to influence marital choice and some current occupational patterns date from the turn of the century. These contradictions coupled with the striking number of respondents who incorrectly report their ethnic background provide evidence of considerable ethnic flux and suggest the growing presence of a new ethnic strand in American life.