The new data on race and Hispanic origin provide a vast array of information about the racial and ethnic composition of the United States. Yet, social scientists, demographers, and policy makers are now faced with the serious issue of using these data appropriately. While datacollection is well-advanced, theoretical and methodological developments are only in the beginning stages. To contribute to this area, this paper articulates the utility of latent class analysis for modeling such phenomena as a basis for theoretical advance. Specifically, we examine the latent structure of race and Hispanic origin responses in Census 2000 to provide some empirical basis for further theorizing of Americas current race/ethnic situation. Forexample, race theorists have repeatedly hypothesized that Americas most powerful racial divide today is between Blacks and non-Blacks, rather than between Whites and non-Whites. Our analyses will provide a new testing ground for this and related ideas because we take into account the full array of multiple race and Hispanic origin responses.

Given the very large proportion of Hawaiians who are multiracial, our research examines Native Hawaiian identification in mixed-race Hawaiian families. We use the 1990 Census, which affords a unique look at racial identification because multiracial people were required to choose one race over another. The results show support for our argument that place plays a central role in Pacific identity processes, illustrated in this case among Hawaiians. We find that strong ties to Hawai'i -- the spiritual and geographic home of the Hawaiian population, its history, and its culture are vital to the intergenerational transmission of Hawaiian identification in both continental and island multiracial families. We compare our results for multiracial Native Hawaiians to prior studies of American Indians and Asian Americans to identify any general patterns in correlates of racial identification choices. In each group, we find that familial and geographic relationships to the cultural and ancestral lands are strongly linked to racial identification.

I use data on part-American Indian children in the 1990 Census 5% PUMS to assess my hypotheses that thick racial ties within the family constrain racial identification, and that structural aspects of the community (group size, inequality, and racial heterogeneity) affect racial identification when racial ties are thin within the family. American Indians present an interesting case study because their high levels of intermarriage and complex patterns of assimilation/identity retention for generations provide a varied group of people who could potentially identify their race as American Indian. Several hypotheses are supported by the data, signifying that racial identification among people with mixed-heritage is affected by the social world beyond individual psychology and racial ties within the family.

Panelists will provide an overview and introduction to using the Integrated Public Use Microdata Samples Series database (IPUMS). The IPUMS-USA data files include 150 years of harmonized U.S. Census data, and a parallel international web site provides integrated data from seven countries. The session will focus on the U.S. data. In addition to demonstrating the interface, panelists will discuss the strengths and limitations of the data series, new 2000 variables, common user problems and questions, and plans for future improvements. Handouts will be provided, and discussion from new and established IPUMS data users is invited.