Hispanic Population Redistribution and Black-White Inequality: Changing Demographics, Changing Social Positions?

Heather O'Connell , Louisiana State University
Christina Diaz, University of Arizona

The growth and redistribution of the Hispanic population raise important questions about local racialized dynamics and the implications for black-white economic inequality. We address one question by examining the relationship between Hispanic population growth and changes in black-white economic inequality between 1990 and 2000. Our analysis relies on county-level data from a variety of sources – including the decennial Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics – and first-differenced regression analysis. We examine changes in black-white disparities in income, poverty, and unemployment, and test whether their relationship with Hispanic population growth is more or less pronounced in new and established Hispanic destinations as compared to other counties. Our results offer a robust understanding of the consequences of Hispanic population growth for black-white economic inequality.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 56. Racial Inequality in the United States