By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance and traffic. For more information on our use of cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.
How does ethnic identification vary with education among disadvantaged minorities?
We study this question for Roma people, Europe’s largest ethnic minority,
using linked Romanian census data and birth records. We measure how
individuals change reported ethnicity over time. Roma identification strongly
declines with education, from 80% for those with no education to 40% for postsecondary
graduates. We estimate a model with persistent individual heterogeneity
and find 3-6 times more Roma post-secondary graduates than in official
data. Survey data we collect shows that most Romanians are unaware of these
patterns. Such selective changes in ethnic identification may reinforce stereotypes
about marginalized groups.
