2020 Census survey #1 asked three yes/no questions (central, familiar, and connection) related to how central the respondent’s cultural origin is to their self-identity. This section reproduces the survey results reported in Pew’s 5/14/2021 report, Black and Hispanic Americans See Their Origins as Central to Who They Are, Less So for White Adults and explores relationships to other respondent features: age, gender, education, state of residence, and political ideology.

Pew’s Findings

The main conclusion from Pew’s report is that the importance of ancestral roots varies by race and ethnicity. The first, second, and fourth figures in the report are based on three questions about the respondent’s relationship to the cultural origin of their family. Question central asked how central their origins are to their identity; Question familiar asked how familiar they are with their origins; and connection asked how connected the respondent is with their origins. Each question began with the same prompt.

Here is a pair of statements about how you think about your origin (for example, German, Mexican, Jamaican, Chinese, etc.) Which statement comes closer to your view – even if neither is exactly right?

60% of respondents said they are very familiar with their origins. But only 46% said they feel a strong connection to their family’s cultural roots, and only 33% said their origin is central to their identity.

Centrality

  • My origin is central to my identity
  • My origin is not central to my identity

White adults were unlikely to regard their origins as central to their identity.

Familiarity

  • I am very familiar with my origins
  • I am not too familiar with my origins

Hispanic adults were more likely to be familiar with their origins than single-race Black or White adults.

Connectedness

  • I feel a strong connection with the cultural origin of my family
  • I do not feel a strong connection with the cultural origin of my family

White adults were unlikely to feel a strong connection to their roots.

Relationship with Social and Demographic Factors

The Ipsos survey captured other respondent features that can further segment the race/ethnicity differences: age, gender, education, geographic location, and political ideology.

Age

Variables ppage, ppagecat (7 levels) are the respondent’s age.

Centrality

Cultural origins are not central to the identity of White Americans regardless of age (perhaps a mild positive relationship?). For Black Americans there is a bell shaped distribution. For Hispanic Americans, cultural origins are central to identity regardless of age (perhaps a mild negative relationship?).

Familiarity

Familiarity with family origins increases with age level for all three race/ethnicity groups. Black Americans over 75 years of age are a possible exception.

Connectedness

Connection to family origins does not appear to be related to age for any race/ethnicity.

Gender

Variable ppgender is the respondent’s gender.

Centrality

White women were slightly more likely than White men to report family cultural origins were central to their identity. For Black Americans the relationship is reversed. Hispanic Women were more much more likely to report a central role for cultural origins than men.

Familiarity

Familiarity with family origins is about equal between genders of all three groups.

Connectedness

Connection to family origins does not appear to be related to gender for any race/ethnicity.

Education

Variable ppeducat is defined as the highest level of education received. The results below are likely influenced by age since younger respondents are unlikely to have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Centrality

There is an inverse relationship between level of education received and the importance of family origins for all three race/ethnicity groups. Black Americans with less than a high school degree are a possible exception.

Familiarity

Familiarity with family origins increases with education level for all three race/ethnicity groups. Black Americans with less than a high school degree are a possible exception.

Connectedness

A third of white Americans report a strong connection to family origins, a proportion that is not moderated by level of education. There is a mild positive association in connectedness for Black Americans, and a mild negative association with Hispanic Americans.

Geography

Variables ppstaten, ppreg9, and ppreg4 are geographic indicators of the respondent’s residence.

Centrality

Americans on the coasts were more likely to report family cultural origins were central to their identity.

Familiarity

Familiarity with family origins is more common in the interior rather than the coasts.

Connectedness

Connection to family origins is highest in the Mountain states for Black Americans, and the Atlantic states for Hispanic Americans.

Political Ideology

Variable IDEO is the resondent’s political ideology.

Centrality

A more conservative ideology was associated with increased centrality for whites and blacks, but not so much for Hispanics.

Familiarity

Familiarity with family origins was unrelated to political ideology.

Connectedness

Connection is family origins was not related to political ideology.

Save Data

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