The Racial Identification of Taiwanese Immigrants in the U.S. Census, 1980 to 2000

Abstract

The foreign-born Taiwanese population in the United States come from a politically divided homeland where Chinese national identity has been declining and Taiwanese national identity has been on the rise since the 1990s. Studies in Taiwan have focused on the link between national identity and ethnic identity among Taiwan nationals, but little research has been conducted in the United States concerning the link between national identity and racial identity for Taiwanese Immigrants. Using data from the 1980, 1990, and 2000 5% Integrated Public Use Microdata Series-USA (IPUMS-USA) samples I examine how Taiwanese immigrants have racially identified themselves in each U.S. Census and if their racial identity choices are significantly different across time. Additionally, I conduct a multilevel binomial logistic model of racial identity for Taiwanese immigrants, examining the extent to which socioeconomic, demographic, and contextual level variables are associated with racial identifying as Taiwanese compared to Chinese using data from the 2000 5% IPUMS-USA sample.

The findings reveal a significant decrease in Chinese racial identity and an increase in Taiwanese racial identity from 1980 to 2000, exemplifying a pattern of racial identification similar to the shift in national identity that occurred in Taiwan since the early 1990s. Findings from the multilevel model of racial identity suggested that Taiwanese immigrants with high socioeconomic statuses are more likely to racially identify as Taiwanese compared to Chinese. Those having the highest economic status, educational attainment, and greater English proficiency had greater odds of racially identifying as Taiwanese compared to those living in lower socioeconomic statuses. There were also differences by immigrant cohorts and age groups. Context, in the form of the proportion of Taiwanese racial identifiers in the state, also appears to be an important factor determining how Taiwanese immigrants racially identify themselves. Furthermore, this thesis highlights how racial formation theory provides a unique framework for analyzing the case of racial identification of Taiwanese immigrants.