Evolving Identities, Race Shifting, or Mismeasurement: Temporal Fluidity Race Response Among American Indian People

Self-reported race and ethnicity change over time and across different contexts. Changes in self-reported race/ethnicity are especially common among American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) groups. Research shows a larger increase in the self-reported AIAN population than would be predicted using standard demographic projections. This increase could be due, in part, to changes in self-identification. Population health scholar Danielle Gartner and sociologist Stephen Gasteyer will examine how family relationships and events across the life course influence self-reported racial identity among AIAN in official records. They will analyze administrative data from Michigan and in-depth interviews for their study.