Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Mixed Race Population Is Mostly Kids

The median age of the 8 million mixed-race Americans was just 19.2 years, according to the 2010 American Community Survey. Most are not even out of their teens. In contrast, the median age of the U.S. population as a whole was a much older 37.2 years. For the past decade, government surveys have shown that the two-or-more races population is much younger than everyone else. What explains the gap?

Parents explain it. When responding to a census or government survey, parents are responsible for identifying the characteristics of their children under age 18. Many parents of mixed-race children identify them as being of more than one race. When those children become adults, many opt for a single race identity.

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