Jensen Speaker Series: René D. Flores

Jensen Speaker Series

René D. Flores is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at The University of Chicago.

“Ethnic Attrition among Hispanic and Asian Descendants in the U.S."

Intergenerational ethnic attrition, where U.S.-born descendants of immigrants do not identify with their ancestors’ ethnicities, remains poorly understood. Various sociological frameworks offer competing predictions about its prevalence and determinants among contemporary ethnic groups in the U.S. We focus on Hispanic and Asian descendants, two rapidly growing "racial middle" groups, whose assimilation outcomes are highly contested. Classic Assimilation Theory predicts that ethnic identities will fade significantly with acculturation over generations, while racialization perspectives argue that non-Europeans will experience little attrition due to enduring racism.