Anglo, African, American, and Alien: Exploring the Social Differences Between Racial Labels in Open-Ended Race Questions

Abstract

Racial and ethnic labels have historically been used for both political and social purposes, and they can be used to signal meaning, which may offer insights into social boundary construction. Using data from the Boundaries in the American Mosaic survey (2014), I explore the nature of these particular labels and the factors related to the use of racial and ethnic labels. I predict region, social networks, identity strength, spouse’s race, income, citizenship, immigrant generation, ethnicity, age, education level, and religion will all correlate with the racial labels individuals report on open-ended race questions. The results show that age, education, and feeling connected to your own race are associated with the use of different labels among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. Gender differentiates only certain Black labels, while interracial marriage and income are associated with specific White and Hispanic labels. Additionally, region, parents’ immigration status, and citizenship predicted label usage for Hispanics. In a separate logit model, gender, feeling connected to your race, and close-ended racial identification predicted the use of resistance labels. I conclude with a discussion highlighting how an examination of these patterns may help researchers understand the social meaning behind the racial labels individuals choose to use and embrace.