The importance of family origins has been shown to differ among racial/ethnic groups. This study expands upon past findings to evaluate the modulating influence of other demographic variables on this relationship.
Using a nationally representative online survey of 3,535 adults 18 years of age or older residing in the United States conducted by Pew Research Center Jan. 3-13, 20201, multivariate logistic regression analyses was conducted to assess the association between demographic factors and the importance of family origins in identity formation.
Gender was not significantly associated with familiarity with origins, but there was evidence that females are more likely to feel a strong connection, 1.18 (95% CI 0.99, 1.40; p=0.065), and that origins are central to their identity, 1.22 (95% CI 1.02, 1.46; p=0.031). Having at least a college education was not associated with feeling a strong connection, but it was negatively associated with cultural origins being central to identity, 0.76 (95% CI 0.63, 0.93; p=0.006). Neither geographic location nor political ideology were significantly associated with either connection nor centrality.
The importance of cultural origins is primarily a factor of cultural origins, not of other demographic features. Hispanic adults are more likely to identify with their family origins than Black adults, and both groups are much more likely to identify with their origins than White adults.
Pew’s May 14, 2021 article Black and Hispanic Americans See Their Origins as Central to Who They Are, Less So for White Adults summarized its survey findings for White, Black, and Hispanic adults. The survey found that both familiarity with and importance of cultural roots were highest among Hispanics. This much is perhaps unsurprising given the likelihood that people claiming Hispanic origin are more likely to trace their roots outside the United States. It is interesting to consider other factors that may influence responses to the importance of ancestry and whether race continues to be important after controlling for them. The survey included several other demographic variables that allow us to do this, including gender, age, level of education, polticical ideaology, and region of residence.
Table 1 present descriptive statistics of the survey items grouped by responses to familiarity with cultural origins, connection to cultural origins, and whether origins are central to identity. Most adults are familiar with their origins, but Hispanic adults were most likely to report being very familiar, 443 (77%). Black and Hispanic adults were likely to say they feel a strong connection to their family roots (223 (61%) Black, 412 (71%) vs only 764 (36%) White) and that their origins are central to their identity (200 (54%) Black, 314 (54%) vs only 480 (22%) White). The three measures of identity were moderately correlated, with \(r\)s ranging from 0.35 to 0.49 (Table 2).
| Variable | Familiar with Origins | Feel a Strong Connection | Central to Identity | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not too familiar, N = 1,2901 | Very familiar, N = 2,1081 | Refused, N = 1381 | p-value2 | Not a strong connection, N = 1,7671 | Strong connection, N = 1,6291 | Refused, N = 1391 | p-value2 | Not central, N = 2,2041 | Central, N = 1,1601 | Refused, N = 1711 | p-value2 | |
| Origins | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | |||||||||
| White | 938 (44%) | 1,146 (54%) | 56 (2.6%) | 1,321 (62%) | 764 (36%) | 54 (2.5%) | 1,590 (74%) | 480 (22%) | 69 (3.2%) | |||
| Black | 131 (36%) | 218 (59%) | 19 (5.1%) | 119 (32%) | 223 (61%) | 26 (7.1%) | 143 (39%) | 200 (54%) | 25 (6.8%) | |||
| Hispanic | 113 (19%) | 443 (77%) | 23 (3.9%) | 158 (27%) | 412 (71%) | 9 (1.6%) | 235 (41%) | 314 (54%) | 30 (5.1%) | |||
| Other | 108 (24%) | 301 (67%) | 40 (8.8%) | 169 (38%) | 230 (51%) | 49 (11%) | 237 (53%) | 165 (37%) | 47 (10%) | |||
| Age | 42 (29, 59) | 50 (34, 63) | 45 (31, 61) | <0.001 | 47 (31, 63) | 48 (32, 61) | 45 (28, 60) | 0.4 | 48 (32, 63) | 48 (32, 60) | 39 (28, 57) | 0.029 |
| Gender | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |||||||||
| Male | 611 (36%) | 1,020 (60%) | 70 (4.1%) | 882 (52%) | 754 (44%) | 65 (3.8%) | 1,090 (64%) | 528 (31%) | 84 (5.0%) | |||
| Female | 679 (37%) | 1,088 (59%) | 67 (3.7%) | 885 (48%) | 875 (48%) | 73 (4.0%) | 1,114 (61%) | 632 (34%) | 87 (4.7%) | |||
| Education | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | |||||||||
| Less than high school | 134 (36%) | 211 (57%) | 26 (7.0%) | 134 (36%) | 217 (59%) | 19 (5.1%) | 175 (47%) | 167 (45%) | 29 (7.7%) | |||
| High school | 388 (39%) | 558 (56%) | 46 (4.7%) | 489 (49%) | 447 (45%) | 56 (5.7%) | 567 (57%) | 369 (37%) | 56 (5.6%) | |||
| Some college | 417 (39%) | 617 (57%) | 48 (4.4%) | 579 (54%) | 467 (43%) | 36 (3.4%) | 702 (65%) | 323 (30%) | 57 (5.3%) | |||
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 351 (32%) | 722 (66%) | 18 (1.6%) | 565 (52%) | 499 (46%) | 27 (2.5%) | 761 (70%) | 301 (28%) | 30 (2.7%) | |||
| Region | 0.006 | <0.001 | <0.001 | |||||||||
| New England | 46 (31%) | 100 (68%) | 1 (0.7%) | 77 (52%) | 70 (48%) | 0 (0%) | 102 (69%) | 43 (29%) | 2 (1.3%) | |||
| Mid-Atlantic | 138 (31%) | 291 (64%) | 24 (5.2%) | 186 (41%) | 239 (53%) | 28 (6.1%) | 269 (59%) | 165 (36%) | 19 (4.2%) | |||
| East-North Central | 229 (42%) | 295 (54%) | 21 (3.9%) | 311 (57%) | 210 (39%) | 24 (4.4%) | 385 (71%) | 138 (25%) | 22 (4.0%) | |||
| West-North Central | 76 (41%) | 107 (58%) | 1 (0.6%) | 116 (63%) | 66 (36%) | 1 (0.7%) | 142 (78%) | 38 (20%) | 4 (2.0%) | |||
| South Atlantic | 269 (38%) | 421 (59%) | 24 (3.3%) | 332 (46%) | 353 (50%) | 28 (4.0%) | 413 (58%) | 263 (37%) | 37 (5.2%) | |||
| East-South Central | 91 (44%) | 99 (48%) | 16 (7.7%) | 106 (51%) | 82 (40%) | 18 (8.8%) | 128 (62%) | 55 (27%) | 23 (11%) | |||
| West-South Central | 175 (40%) | 243 (56%) | 17 (3.9%) | 204 (47%) | 220 (51%) | 11 (2.6%) | 246 (56%) | 175 (40%) | 15 (3.4%) | |||
| Mountain | 80 (32%) | 165 (65%) | 8 (3.2%) | 124 (49%) | 124 (49%) | 5 (1.8%) | 157 (62%) | 82 (32%) | 14 (5.5%) | |||
| Pacific | 186 (31%) | 387 (65%) | 26 (4.3%) | 311 (52%) | 265 (44%) | 24 (4.0%) | 362 (60%) | 201 (34%) | 36 (6.0%) | |||
| Political Ideology | <0.001 | <0.001 | <0.001 | |||||||||
| Moderate | 602 (40%) | 873 (58%) | 34 (2.3%) | 781 (52%) | 699 (46%) | 29 (1.9%) | 934 (62%) | 531 (35%) | 44 (2.9%) | |||
| Conservative | 265 (32%) | 527 (64%) | 30 (3.7%) | 412 (50%) | 381 (46%) | 30 (3.6%) | 530 (64%) | 260 (32%) | 33 (4.0%) | |||
| Very conservative | 128 (38%) | 201 (60%) | 5 (1.6%) | 169 (51%) | 159 (48%) | 6 (1.9%) | 209 (63%) | 114 (34%) | 12 (3.5%) | |||
| Liberal | 196 (36%) | 335 (62%) | 11 (2.0%) | 265 (49%) | 268 (50%) | 8 (1.5%) | 334 (62%) | 189 (35%) | 18 (3.3%) | |||
| Very liberal | 64 (34%) | 124 (65%) | 3 (1.3%) | 98 (51%) | 88 (46%) | 5 (2.5%) | 134 (71%) | 51 (27%) | 6 (2.9%) | |||
| Refused | 34 (25%) | 48 (35%) | 54 (40%) | 41 (30%) | 34 (25%) | 61 (45%) | 62 (45%) | 16 (12%) | 59 (43%) | |||
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1
n (%); Median (IQR)
2
chi-squared test with Rao & Scott's second-order correction; Wilcoxon rank-sum test for complex survey samples
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Familiarity with origins was associated with being older, higher educated, residing in coastal regions, and having non-moderate political views. A strong connection and importance of origins was associated with lower education.
| central | familiar | connection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| central | 1.00*** | ||
| familiar | 0.35*** | 1.00*** | |
| connection | 0.49*** | 0.48*** | 1.00*** |
| * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 |
A logistic regression was fit for each measure of importance using the subset of respondents who answered the question.
\[ \begin{aligned} \log\left[ \frac { E( \operatorname{familiar} ) }{ 1 - E( \operatorname{familiar} ) } \right] &= \beta_{0} + \beta_{1}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Black}}) + \beta_{2}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Hispanic}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{3}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Other}}) + \beta_{4}(\operatorname{ppage}) + \beta_{5}(\operatorname{ppgender}_{\operatorname{Female}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{6}(\operatorname{ppeducat}_{\operatorname{Bachelor's\ or\ higher}}) + \beta_{7}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Mid-Atlantic}}) + \beta_{8}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{East-North\ Central}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{9}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{West-North\ Central}}) + \beta_{10}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{South\ Atlantic}}) + \beta_{11}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{East-South\ Central}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{12}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{West-South\ Central}}) + \beta_{13}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Mountain}}) + \beta_{14}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Pacific}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{15}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Conservative}}) + \beta_{16}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Very\ conservative}}) + \beta_{17}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Liberal}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{18}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Very\ liberal}}) + \beta_{19}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Refused}}) \end{aligned} \] \[ \begin{aligned} \log\left[ \frac { E( \operatorname{connection} ) }{ 1 - E( \operatorname{connection} ) } \right] &= \beta_{0} + \beta_{1}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Black}}) + \beta_{2}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Hispanic}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{3}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Other}}) + \beta_{4}(\operatorname{ppage}) + \beta_{5}(\operatorname{ppgender}_{\operatorname{Female}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{6}(\operatorname{ppeducat}_{\operatorname{Bachelor's\ or\ higher}}) + \beta_{7}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Mid-Atlantic}}) + \beta_{8}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{East-North\ Central}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{9}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{West-North\ Central}}) + \beta_{10}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{South\ Atlantic}}) + \beta_{11}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{East-South\ Central}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{12}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{West-South\ Central}}) + \beta_{13}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Mountain}}) + \beta_{14}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Pacific}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{15}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Conservative}}) + \beta_{16}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Very\ conservative}}) + \beta_{17}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Liberal}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{18}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Very\ liberal}}) + \beta_{19}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Refused}}) \end{aligned} \] \[ \begin{aligned} \log\left[ \frac { E( \operatorname{central} ) }{ 1 - E( \operatorname{central} ) } \right] &= \beta_{0} + \beta_{1}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Black}}) + \beta_{2}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Hispanic}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{3}(\operatorname{origins}_{\operatorname{Other}}) + \beta_{4}(\operatorname{ppage}) + \beta_{5}(\operatorname{ppgender}_{\operatorname{Female}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{6}(\operatorname{ppeducat}_{\operatorname{Bachelor's\ or\ higher}}) + \beta_{7}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Mid-Atlantic}}) + \beta_{8}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{East-North\ Central}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{9}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{West-North\ Central}}) + \beta_{10}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{South\ Atlantic}}) + \beta_{11}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{East-South\ Central}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{12}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{West-South\ Central}}) + \beta_{13}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Mountain}}) + \beta_{14}(\operatorname{ppreg9}_{\operatorname{Pacific}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{15}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Conservative}}) + \beta_{16}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Very\ conservative}}) + \beta_{17}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Liberal}})\ + \\ &\quad \beta_{18}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Very\ liberal}}) + \beta_{19}(\operatorname{IDEO}_{\operatorname{Refused}}) \end{aligned} \]
The regression results are summarized in Table 3.
| Characteristic | Familiar with Origins | Feel a Strong Connection | Central to Identity | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR1 | 95% CI1 | p-value | OR1 | 95% CI1 | p-value | OR1 | 95% CI1 | p-value | |
| origins | |||||||||
| White | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Black | 1.79 | 1.28, 2.49 | <0.001 | 3.38 | 2.42, 4.71 | <0.001 | 4.49 | 3.26, 6.18 | <0.001 |
| Hispanic | 4.35 | 3.34, 5.67 | <0.001 | 5.09 | 3.92, 6.61 | <0.001 | 4.22 | 3.34, 5.35 | <0.001 |
| Other | 2.59 | 1.86, 3.60 | <0.001 | 2.59 | 1.94, 3.47 | <0.001 | 2.44 | 1.82, 3.28 | <0.001 |
| ppage | 1.02 | 1.01, 1.03 | <0.001 | 1.01 | 1.00, 1.01 | 0.057 | 1.00 | 1.00, 1.01 | 0.2 |
| ppgender | |||||||||
| Male | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Female | 0.95 | 0.79, 1.13 | 0.5 | 1.18 | 0.99, 1.40 | 0.065 | 1.22 | 1.02, 1.46 | 0.031 |
| ppeducat | |||||||||
| Less than Bachelors | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Bachelor's or higher | 1.54 | 1.28, 1.86 | <0.001 | 1.11 | 0.92, 1.33 | 0.3 | 0.76 | 0.63, 0.93 | 0.006 |
| ppreg9 | |||||||||
| New England | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Mid-Atlantic | 0.87 | 0.53, 1.43 | 0.6 | 1.32 | 0.82, 2.13 | 0.3 | 1.31 | 0.78, 2.20 | 0.3 |
| East-North Central | 0.62 | 0.38, 1.00 | 0.048 | 0.74 | 0.47, 1.18 | 0.2 | 0.79 | 0.48, 1.33 | 0.4 |
| West-North Central | 0.68 | 0.39, 1.17 | 0.2 | 0.73 | 0.43, 1.23 | 0.2 | 0.75 | 0.41, 1.37 | 0.3 |
| South Atlantic | 0.59 | 0.37, 0.93 | 0.024 | 0.94 | 0.60, 1.47 | 0.8 | 1.16 | 0.71, 1.88 | 0.6 |
| East-South Central | 0.51 | 0.29, 0.90 | 0.019 | 0.83 | 0.47, 1.46 | 0.5 | 0.88 | 0.47, 1.65 | 0.7 |
| West-South Central | 0.47 | 0.29, 0.77 | 0.003 | 0.85 | 0.53, 1.38 | 0.5 | 1.16 | 0.69, 1.94 | 0.6 |
| Mountain | 0.79 | 0.45, 1.37 | 0.4 | 0.89 | 0.53, 1.50 | 0.7 | 1.02 | 0.58, 1.77 | >0.9 |
| Pacific | 0.71 | 0.44, 1.14 | 0.2 | 0.67 | 0.42, 1.06 | 0.089 | 1.00 | 0.61, 1.63 | >0.9 |
| IDEO | |||||||||
| Moderate | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Conservative | 1.46 | 1.17, 1.83 | <0.001 | 1.24 | 1.00, 1.54 | 0.052 | 1.01 | 0.80, 1.27 | >0.9 |
| Very conservative | 1.28 | 0.93, 1.76 | 0.13 | 1.30 | 0.94, 1.79 | 0.11 | 1.13 | 0.81, 1.56 | 0.5 |
| Liberal | 1.12 | 0.87, 1.44 | 0.4 | 1.09 | 0.85, 1.40 | 0.5 | 0.97 | 0.74, 1.27 | 0.8 |
| Very liberal | 1.57 | 1.04, 2.39 | 0.034 | 1.09 | 0.73, 1.64 | 0.7 | 0.68 | 0.44, 1.05 | 0.081 |
| Refused | 0.85 | 0.45, 1.62 | 0.6 | 0.85 | 0.44, 1.64 | 0.6 | 0.35 | 0.17, 0.74 | 0.006 |
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1
OR = Odds Ratio, CI = Confidence Interval
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Confirming the conclusions of the Pew analyses, Black adults were nearly twice as likely as White adults to be be familiar with their origins, 1.79 (95% CI 1.28, 2.49; p<0.001). Hispanic adults were over four times as likely, 4.35 (95% CI 3.34, 5.67; p<0.001). Black and Hispanic adults were also significantly more likely to report being connected to their cultural origins and their origins being central to their identity.
Gender was not significantly associated with familiarity with origins, but there was evidence that females are more likely to feel a strong connection, 1.18 (95% CI 0.99, 1.40; p=0.065), and that origins are central to their identity, 1.22 (95% CI 1.02, 1.46; p=0.031).
Having at least a college education was not associated with feeling a strong connection, but it was negatively associated with cultural orgins being central to identity, 0.76 (95% CI 0.63, 0.93; p=0.006).
Neither geographic location nor political ideology were significantly associated with either connection nor centrality.