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Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites

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  • STANLEY LIEBERSON
  • MARY C. WATERS

Abstract

As whites become increasingly distant in generations and time from their immigrant ancestors, the tendency to distort, or remember selectively, one's ethnic origins increases. Distortions and inconsistencies in ethnic reporting are shown to vary with age, educational attainment, and marital status and even to exist within families when parents report the ethnic ancestry of their children. These examples of inconsistency, simplification, and systematic distortion all demonstrate the flux of the ethnic categories among white Americans. It is concluded that ethnic categories are social phenomena that over the long run are constantly being redefined and reformulated.

Suggested Citation

  • Stanley Lieberson & Mary C. Waters, 1986. "Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 487(1), pages 79-91, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:487:y:1986:i:1:p:79-91
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716286487001004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barbara Anderson & Brian Silver, 1983. "Estimating russification of ethnic identity among non-Russians in the USSR," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 20(4), pages 461-489, November.
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    1. Caroline Uggla & Jan Saarela, 2024. "First Partner Choice in a Native Minority: The Role of Own and Parental Ethnolinguistic Affiliation," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 40(1), pages 1-32, December.

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