IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/dem/demres/v37y2017i33.html

State-level changes in US racial and ethnic diversity, 1980 to 2015: A universal trend?

Author

Listed:
  • Barrett Lee

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Michael Martin

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Stephen Matthews

    (Pennsylvania State University)

  • Chad Farrell

    (University of Alaska Anchorage)

Abstract

Background: Few studies have examined long-term changes in ethnoracial diversity for US states despite the potential social, economic, and political ramifications of such changes at the state level. Objective: We describe shifts in diversity magnitude and structure from 1980 through 2015 to determine if states are following identical, parallel, divergent, or convergent paths. Methods: Decennial census data for 1980‒2010 and American Community Survey data for 2015 are used to compute entropy index (E) and Simpson index (S) measures of diversity magnitude based on five panethnic populations. A typology characterizes the racial/ethnic structure of states. Results: While initial diversity level and subsequent pace of change vary widely, every state has increased in diversity magnitude since 1980. A dramatic decline in the number of predominantly white states has been accompanied by the rise of states with multigroup structures that include Hispanics. These diverse states are concentrated along the coasts and across the southern tier of the country. Differences in panethnic population growth (especially rapid Hispanic and Asian growth coupled with white stability) drive the diversification trend. Conclusions: The diversity hierarchy among states has remained relatively stable over the past 35 years in the face of universal gains in diversity magnitude and the increasing heterogeneity of racial/ethnic structures. Contribution: We document ethnoracial diversity patterns at an understudied geographic scale, the state level, where diversity may have important consequences across a range of institutional domains.

Suggested Citation

  • Barrett Lee & Michael Martin & Stephen Matthews & Chad Farrell, 2017. "State-level changes in US racial and ethnic diversity, 1980 to 2015: A universal trend?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(33), pages 1031-1048.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:37:y:2017:i:33
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2017.37.33
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol37/33/37-33.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4054/DemRes.2017.37.33?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kenneth M. Johnson & Daniel T. Lichter, 2008. "Natural Increase: A New Source of Population Growth in Emerging Hispanic Destinations in the United States," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 34(2), pages 327-346, June.
    2. Christopher S. Fowler & Barrett A. Lee & Stephen A. Matthews, 2016. "The Contributions of Places to Metropolitan Ethnoracial Diversity and Segregation: Decomposing Change Across Space and Time," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 1955-1977, December.
    3. Barrett Lee & Lauren Hughes, 2015. "Bucking the Trend: Is Ethnoracial Diversity Declining in American Communities?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(1), pages 113-139, February.
    4. William A. V. Clark & Eva Anderson & John Östh & Bo Malmberg, 2015. "A Multiscalar Analysis of Neighborhood Composition in Los Angeles, 2000–2010: A Location-Based Approach to Segregation and Diversity," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 105(6), pages 1260-1284, November.
    5. Daniel Lichter, 2013. "Integration or Fragmentation? Racial Diversity and the American Future," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(2), pages 359-391, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Brian Thiede & Matthew M. Brooks, 2018. "Child poverty across immigrant generations in the United States, 1993–2016: Evidence using the official and supplemental poverty measures," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(40), pages 1065-1080.
    2. Samuel Vézina & Alain Bélanger, 2019. "Impacts of education and immigration on the size and skills of the future workforce," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(12), pages 331-366.
    3. Rami Zeedan, 2019. "The 2016 US Presidential Elections: What Went Wrong in Pre-Election Polls? Demographics Help to Explain," J, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-18, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kenneth M. Johnson & Daniel T. Lichter, 2016. "Diverging Demography: Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Contributions to U.S. Population Redistribution and Diversity," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 35(5), pages 705-725, October.
    2. Christopher S. Fowler & Barrett A. Lee & Stephen A. Matthews, 2016. "The Contributions of Places to Metropolitan Ethnoracial Diversity and Segregation: Decomposing Change Across Space and Time," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 1955-1977, December.
    3. repec:plo:pone00:0174993 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Christopher S Fowler, 2018. "Key assumptions in multiscale segregation measures: How zoning and strength of spatial association condition outcomes," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 45(6), pages 1055-1072, November.
    5. Barrett A. Lee & Gregory Sharp, 2017. "Ethnoracial Diversity across the Rural-Urban Continuum," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 672(1), pages 26-45, July.
    6. Mark Ellis & Richard Wright & Lee Fiorio & Steven Holloway, 2018. "Predicting neighborhood racial change in large US metropolitan areas, 1990–2010," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 45(6), pages 1022-1037, November.
    7. Daniel T. Lichter & Kenneth M. Johnson, 2020. "A Demographic Lifeline? Immigration and Hispanic Population Growth in Rural America," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(5), pages 785-803, October.
    8. Daniel T. Lichter & Domenico Parisi & Michael C. Taquino, 2015. "Spatial Assimilation in U.S. Cities and Communities? Emerging Patterns of Hispanic Segregation from Blacks and Whites," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 660(1), pages 36-56, July.
    9. Jeremy Pais, 2021. "The Intergenerational Reproduction of Multiethnic Residential Integration," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(3), pages 431-458, June.
    10. Daniel T. Lichter & Domenico Parisi & Shrinidhi Ambinakudige, 2020. "The Spatial Integration of Immigrants in Europe: A Cross-National Study," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(3), pages 465-491, June.
    11. Elizabeth Ackert & Stephanie Potochnick, 2024. "Health Care Access Among Children in Latinx Families Across U.S. Destinations," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(5), pages 1-44, October.
    12. Barrett Lee & Lauren Hughes, 2015. "Bucking the Trend: Is Ethnoracial Diversity Declining in American Communities?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(1), pages 113-139, February.
    13. Francesco Andreoli & Eugenio Peluso, 2016. "So close yet so unequal: Reconsidering spatial inequality in U.S. cities," Working Papers 21/2016, University of Verona, Department of Economics.
    14. Andrew D. Reynolds & Thomas M. Crea, 2017. "The Integration of Immigrant Youth in Schools and Friendship Networks," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 36(4), pages 501-529, August.
    15. Laura Tach & Barrett Lee & Michael Martin & Lauren Hannscott, 2019. "Fragmentation or Diversification? Ethnoracial Change and the Social and Economic Heterogeneity of Places," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2193-2227, December.
    16. Yana Kucheva & Richard Sander, 2026. "Black Pioneers, Intermetropolitan Movers, and Housing Desegregation," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 45(2), pages 1-28, April.
    17. Albert Sabater & Gemma Catney, 2019. "Unpacking Summary Measures of Ethnic Residential Segregation Using an Age Group and Age Cohort Perspective," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(1), pages 161-189, February.
    18. Brian Thiede & Matthew M. Brooks, 2018. "Child poverty across immigrant generations in the United States, 1993–2016: Evidence using the official and supplemental poverty measures," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(40), pages 1065-1080.
    19. Eva K. Andersson & Bo Malmberg & Rafael Costa & Bart Sleutjes & Marcin Jan Stonawski & Helga A. G. Valk, 2018. "A Comparative Study of Segregation Patterns in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden: Neighbourhood Concentration and Representation of Non-European Migrants," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(2), pages 251-275, May.
    20. Carmel Price & Ben Feldmeyer, 2012. "The Environmental Impact of Immigration: An Analysis of the Effects of Immigrant Concentration on Air Pollution Levels," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(1), pages 119-140, February.
    21. Daniel T. Lichter & Zhenchao Qian & Dmitry Tumin, 2015. "Whom Do Immigrants Marry? Emerging Patterns of Intermarriage and Integration in the United States," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 662(1), pages 57-78, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:37:y:2017:i:33. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Editorial Office (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.