WE-10
e the
American...
" ! !! !! ! !!
Acknowledgments
This report was prepared by Donald Hernandez with the
assistance of Arlene Saluter and Catherine O’Brien, Marriage
and Family Statistics Branch.
Susan J. Lapham, Population Division, provided
general direction. Janice Valdisera and Michael Levin,
Population Division, and Paula Coupe and Dwight Johnson,
Public Information Office, reviewed the report. Debra Niner
provided review assistance.
Alfredo Navarro, Decennial Statistical Studies Division,
provided statistical review.
The staff of Administrative and Publications Services Division,
Walter C. Odom, Chief, performed publication planning, design,
composition, editorial review, and printing planning and
procurement. Cynthia G. Brooks provided publication
coordination and editing. Kim Blackwell provided design
and graphics services. Diane Oliff–Michael
coordinated printing services.
e, the
American
Children
Introduction
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1
Since 1940, a minority of us have
lived in traditional" families with a
fullĆtime working father and a
homemaker mother.
In 1940, only 43 percent of
children lived in traditional"
families with a father who
worked full time year round
and a mother who was not in
the labor force.
continued to live in nontradiĆ
tional" families.
children lived in traditional"
families, and this declined to
20 percent in 1990.
After 1950, traditional" family
living declined, and by 1990
fewer than oneĆfifth of all chilĆ
dren lived in families with faĆ
thers as fullĆtime providers
and homemaking mothers.
The proportion of children livĆ
ing in traditional" families
rose to 47 percent in 1950,
but a majority of children
Since 1940, fewer than 30
percent of Black children
lived with fathers who were
fullĆtime workers and mothers
who were fullĆtime homemakĆ
ers, and this declined to only
5 percent in 1990.
Between 1940 and 1960, only
45 to 50 percent of White
Figure 1.
Children Living With a Father Working Full-Time
and a Mother Not in the Labor Force: 1940 to 1990
All children
White
Black
(Percent of children under 18 years old)
49.9
43.1
48.3
47.1
45.1
44.7
40.8
37.2
29.6
27.6
26.4
26.3
20.2
20.1
17.9
14.7
7.9
4.9
1940
2
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
TwoĆthirds of us are nonĆHispanic
Whites, while oneĆthird of us belong
to racial or ethnic groups.
The 1990 census counted
63,604,432 children under
age 18.
About twoĆthirds of American
children were White but not
of Hispanic origin, while
nearly oneĆthird were nonĆ
White or Hispanic.
NonĆHispanic Black children
were the largest nonĆWhite
group (15 percent).
Hispanic children accounted
for 12 percent of all children.
TwoĆthirds of Hispanic chilĆ
dren were of Mexican origin.
But many Hispanic children
traced their origins to Puerto
Rico, Cuba, El Salvador,
Colombia, Guatemala, NicaĆ
ragua, Ecuador, Peru, HonĆ
duras, or other Central and
South American countries.
Three percent of American
children belonged to Asian
and Pacific Islander groups,
including Chinese, Filipino,
Japanese, Asian Indian,
Korean, Vietnamese,
Laotian, Cambodian, Thai,
and Hmong.
Figure 2.
Race and Hispanic Origin of Children: 1990
(Percent distribution of children under 18 years old)
Other
race
0.2%
Pacific Islander 7.1%
American Indian,
Eskimo, and Aleut
1.0%
Other Asian 15.5%
Black,
not Hispanic
14.7%
Korean 12.1%
Vietnamese 9.5%
Asian and Pacific
Islander 3.1%
Asian Indian 11.2%
Japanese 7.8%
Filipino 18.7%
Chinese 18.9%
White, not
Hispanic
69.1%
Hispanic (of
any race) 12.0%
Other Hispanic
origin 8.1%
South American
3.3%
Central American
4.9%
Dominican
Republic 2.2%
Cuban 2.6%
Puerto Rican
12.2%
Mexican 66.7%
3
Most of us live with two parents, but
our chances of living in a oneĆparent
family rose during the 1980's.
Children living with two parĆ
ents declined substantially
from 77 percent in 1980 to
72 percent in 1990, while
those living with one parent
increased from 18 percent to
24 percent.
Blacks, and 36 percent
for Hispanics.
More than 4 out of every
5 children living with one parĆ
ent in 1980 and in 1990 lived
with their mother.
Children living with only their
father doubled from 2 perĆ
cent to 4 percent during the
1980's, but the rise in motherĆ
only families accounted for
most of the increase in oneĆ
parent family living.
During the 1980's, the
proportion of children living
with one parent rose by
3 percentage points for nonĆ
Hispanic Whites, by 13 perĆ
centage points for nonĆ
Hispanic Blacks, and
by 9 percentage points
for Hispanics.
In 1990, the total proportion
with one parent or no parent
in the home was 20 percent
for nonĆHispanic Whites,
63 percent for nonĆHispanic
Figure 3.
Parental Living Arrangements of Children: 1980 and 1990
(Percent distribution of children under 18 years old)
5.1
4.2
3.9
2.0
16.3
20.0
3.5
2.0
11.4
3.0
3.3
11.1
8.3
5.4
13.4
7.5
6.1
Living
with no parent
5.9
Living with father only
1.6
2.8
19.8
24.0
Living with mother only
39.2
49.3
83.2
76.6
80.4
71.9
71.1
64.0
46.9
37.0
1980
1990
All children
4
1980
1990
White,
not Hispanic
1980
1990
Black,
not Hispanic
1980
1990
Hispanic
(of any race)
Living with two parents
Whether we live with two parents
or one, few of us have a grandĆ
parent in the home.
Only 3 percent of children
in twoĆparent families in
1990 had a grandparent in
the home.
and Hispanic children (5 perĆ
cent) in twoĆparent families
were about equally likely to
live with a grandparent.
NonĆHispanic White children
(2 percent), nonĆHispanic
Black children (3 percent),
Children in oneĆparent
families were more likely than
those living with two parents
Figure 4.
Grandparents in the Homes
of Children: 1990
to have a grandparent in
the home.
About 80 percent of children
in oneĆparent families did
not live with a grandparent
compared with about
97 percent of children in
twoĆparent families.
Total
Living with
two parents
(Percent with grandparent)
Living with
mother only
Living with
father only
7.5
2.8
All children
18.3
20.1
4.8
White, not Hispanic
2.0
15.7
15.7
16.2
Black, not Hispanic
2.7
21.0
32.2
10.1
Hispanic
(of any race)
5.3
19.4
19.4
5
Most of us live in families with
one, two, or three children.
The vast majority of preĆ
school children under 6
years old in 1990 lived in
families with one, two, or
three children.
three children, and about
80 percent of nonĆHispanic
Black and Hispanic preĆ
schoolers also lived in
small families.
About 25 percent of preĆ
schoolers had no brothers or
sisters, about 40 percent had
only one sibling, and another
22 percent had two siblings.
Adolescents had more brothĆ
ers and sisters than preĆ
school children, but most
adolescents also lived in
families with one, two, or
three children.
Ninety percent of nonĆ
Hispanic White preschoolers
lived in families with one to
to three children was
78 percent for nonĆHispanic
Whites, 64 percent for nonĆ
Hispanic Blacks, and
56 percent for Hispanics.
No more than 15 percent of
preschoolers and adolesĆ
cents lived in large families
with six or more children,
regardless of their racial or
ethnic heritage.
The proportion of adolesĆ
cents in families with one
Figure 5
Number of Siblings in the Homes of Children 0 to 5 Years Old
and 12 to 17 Years Old, by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990
(Percent distribution by mother's number of children ever born for
children living with mother)
0 to 5 years
2.1
2.9
8.3
12 to 17 years
1.2
2.1
7.1
4.2
5.1
4.0
5.0
11.1
11.7
21.8
6.7
6.1
4.4
4.9
11.4
12.7
8.7
14.0
22.1
22.7
14.9
Six or more
10.3
Five
19.0
Four
27.5
Three
22.4
Two
5.9
One child
16.4
24.4
29.3
28.6
39.8
26.2
42.2
32.6
33.7
39.3
35.4
24.9
25.5
24.4
21.3
9.2
All
children
6
26.6
White,
Black,
Hispanic
not Hispanic not Hispanic (of any race)
All
children
9.4
10.7
White,
Black,
Hispanic
not Hispanic not Hispanic (of any race)
The educational attainments of our
parents rose during the past decade.
Children living with mothers
who had at least a high
school diploma increased
from 74 percent in 1980 to
80 percent in 1990.
likely as nonĆHispanic White
children to have a mother
with a bachelor's degree,
and the proportion for HisĆ
panics was much smaller.
The proportion with mothers
having a bachelor's degree
rose from 11 percent to
18 percent.
NonĆHispanic Black children
also were substantially less
likely than nonĆHispanic
White children to have a
mother with a high school
diploma, and only 50 percent
In 1990, nonĆHispanic Black
children were oneĆhalf as
of Hispanic children
had mothers with this
much education.
OneĆfourth of Hispanic chilĆ
dren had mothers with less
than 9 years of education
compared with fewer than
1 in 20 nonĆHispanic White
children and nonĆHispanic
Black children.
Figure 6.
Mother’s Educational Attainment for Children:
1980 and 1990
(Percent for children living with mother)
1980
1990
Less than 9th grade
All children
White,
not Hispanic
Black,
not Hispanic
9.3
5.7
5.5
2.1
11.1
3.7
36.5
Hispanic
(of any race)
27.2
High school graduate or higher
73.7
All children
White,
not Hispanic
59.1
Black,
not Hispanic
42.3
Hispanic
(of any race)
80.3
80.2
87.5
71.0
49.5
Bachelor’s degree or higher
11.3
All children
17.5
13.0
20.5
White,
not Hispanic
Black,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
(of any race)
5.3
9.1
3.7
6.0
7
Nearly all of us who live with our fathers
have a father who is employed, but many
fathers are partĆtime workers.
In 1990, 96 percent of chilĆ
dren living with their fathers
(in fatherĆonly or twoĆparent
families) had fathers who
worked for pay.
4 percent had fathers who
did not work.
Both nonĆHispanic Black
children and Hispanic chilĆ
dren living with fathers were
somewhat less likely than
nonĆHispanic White children
living with fathers to have a
father who worked.
Seventy percent of children
living with fathers had fathers
who were fullĆtime workers,
while 26 percent had fathers
who worked part time, and
OneĆfourth of nonĆHispanic
White children living with their
fathers had fathers who
worked part time or not at
all, but the proportion was
more than 4 in 10 for nonĆ
Hispanic Black children and
Hispanic children who lived
with their fathers.
Figure 7.
Father’s Amount of Work and Parental Living
Arrangements for Children: 1980 and 1990
(Percent distribution for children under 18 years old
living with father)
0.3
3.2
0.9
25.5
0.6
0.2
0.3
3.2
2.3
2.3
2.0
23.2
0.7
1.3
23.5
20.7
1.2
2.6
8.1
6.2
5.0
2.7
1.3
1.0
4.9
4.6
0.9
3.9
27.7
34.9
Father partĆtime,
two-parent family
1.1
3.6
2.4
Father fullĆtime,
fatherĆonly family
72.0
68.7
68.4
1990
All children
8
Father did not work,
twoĆparent family
35.0
2.3
5.2
1980
Father did not work,
father-only family
Father partĆtime,
father-only family
2.1
33.2
1.4
0.1
Father fullĆtime,
twoĆparent family
73.1
1980
1990
White,
not Hispanic
53.0
53.4
1980
1990
Black,
not Hispanic
58.1
52.0
1980
1990
Hispanic
(of any race)
Most of us who live with our
mothers have a mother who
is employed.
Among children living with
their mothers, the proportion
with a working mother inĆ
creased from 60 percent in
1980 to 72 percent in 1990.
Most of the increase in
the proportion of children
with working mothers ocĆ
curred because of the
rise in mothers who were
fullĆtime workers.
Blacks, and 21 percent
for Hispanics.
By 1990, the proportion
of children living with mothĆ
ers whose mothers were fullĆ
time workers was 27 percent
for nonĆHispanic Whites,
30 percent for nonĆHispanic
The proportion living with
mothers who were partĆtime
workers was substantially
larger, at 47 percent for nonĆ
Hispanic Whites and 41 perĆ
cent for nonĆHispanic Blacks
and for Hispanics.
Figure 8.
Mother’s Amount of Work and Parental Living
Arrangements for Children: 1980 and 1990
(Percent distribution for children under 18 years old
living with mother)
5.8
6.5
2.8
2.9
19.2
21.7
33.7
23.1
5.9
5.1
Mother did not work,
motherĆonly family
26.9
Mother did not work,
twoĆparent family
10.0
Mother partĆtime,
motherĆonly family
30.6
Mother partĆtime,
twoĆparent family
5.7
Mother fullĆtime,
motherĆonly family
15.2
Mother fullĆtime,
twoĆparent family
20.9
16.4
16.0
8.5
37.4
37.0
22.3
41.0
36.3
34.8
11.5
36.6
8.6
6.7
10.9
7.3
23.4
18.6
30.0
5.5
6.6
5.0
13.9
1980
10.4
13.9
4.2
20.3
1990
All children
13.9
1980
21.7
1990
White,
not Hispanic
3.6
14.7
15.9
1980
1990
Black,
not Hispanic
11.2
1980
1990
Hispanic
(of any race)
9
For every one of us who lives in a
traditional" twoĆparent family, four
of us live in nontraditional"
twoĆparent families.
In 1990, 14 percent of chilĆ
dren lived in traditional" famĆ
ilies with fathers who worked
full time year round and
mothers who did not work
during the year.
Four times as many children
lived in nontraditional" twoĆ
parent families, where the
father was not a fullĆtime
worker, or where the
mother did work.
Children were about equally
likely to live in a traditional"
family with a fullyĆemployed
father and homemaking
mother or in a nontraditionĆ
al" family where both parents
were fullĆtime workers.
Children were substantially
more likely to live in a nonĆ
traditional" twoĆparent family
where the father was a fullĆ
time worker and the mother
a partĆtime worker or
where the father was a
partĆtime worker.
Figure 9.
Father’s and Mother’s Amount of Work and Parental Living
Arrangements for Children: 1980 and 1990
(Percent distribution for children under 18 years old)
23.4
16.8
28.1
28.9
22.0
22.6
19.6
36.0
OneĆparent family or
no parent in home,
regardless of parents'
work status
53.1
19.3
63.0
20.0
10.2
9.8
Two–parent families:
28.9
16.2
27.7
Father not fullĆtime
9.8
Father fullĆtime,
mother fullĆtime
14.2
Father fullĆtime,
mother partĆtime
12.4
Father fullĆtime,
mother did not work
14.6
22.6
7.9
20.6
25.8
28.8
23.6
14.4
15.8
8.4
9.9
21.6
1980
25.3
13.7
1990
All children
10
11.4
16.1
6.6
1980
1990
White,
not Hispanic
1980
9.0
18.5
3.8
1990
1980
Black,
not Hispanic
1990
Hispanic
(of any race)
At age 1 year, for every one of
us who lives in traditional"
twoĆparent families, more than
three of us live in nonĆtraditional"
twoĆparent families.
For children age 1, the proĆ
portion living with a father
who worked full time year
round and a mother who was
a fullĆtime homemaker deĆ
clined from 28 percent in
1980 to 17 percent in 1990.
The proportion living in such
traditional" families declined
from 34 percent to 20 perĆ
cent for nonĆHispanic Whites,
from 8 percent to 4 percent
for nonĆHispanic Blacks, and
from 21 percent to 15 perĆ
cent for Hispanics.
In 1990, for every child age 1
living in traditional" families
with a fullyĆemployed father
and homemaking mother,
there were more than three
children who lived in nonĆ
traditional" twoĆparent famiĆ
lies with a father who was not
a fullĆtime worker or a mother
who worked.
Figure 10.
Father’s and Mother’s Amount of Work and Parental Living
Arrangements for Children 1 Year Old: 1980 and 1990
(Percent distribution)
20.9
11.7
26.6
28.8
25.6
24.7
16.0
20.7
20.7
59.7
67.8
5.2
12.7
27.3
Father not full-time
7.1
Father full-time,
mother full-time
14.8
Father full-time,
mother part-time
14.5
Father full-time,
mother did not work
23.7
5.6
21.1
30.8
25.0
16.4
12.2
19.8
16.6
11.3
All children
1980
1990
White,
not Hispanic
6.9
9.1
8.1
1990
17.2
4.6
33.8
28.1
1980
Two–parent families:
27.3
5.2
11.1
36.3
One-parent family or
no parent in home
regardless of parents'
work status
1980
4.0
1990
Black,
not Hispanic
21.0
1980
1990
Hispanic
(of any race)
11
The proportion of us in high and
low income families increased
during the 1980's.
Children in low income famiĆ
lies increased from 24 perĆ
cent in 1980 to 26 percent in
1990, while the proportion in
high income families inĆ
creased from 18 percent to
21 percent.
Between 1980 and 1990, the
proportion of children with
comfortable or prosperous
family incomes declined from
42 percent to 37 percent.
NonĆHispanic White children
in 1990 were about three
times more likely than nonĆ
Hispanic Black children and
Hispanic children to live in
families with high incomes.
Comfortable or prosperous
family incomes were also
more often experienced by
nonĆHispanic White children
than by nonĆHispanic Black
children or Hispanic children.
The proportion living in a
family with low income was
more than 2 1/2 times larger
for nonĆHispanic Blacks and
Hispanics than for nonĆ
Hispanic Whites.
Figure 11.
Family Income Level for Children: 1980 and 1990
(Percent distribution)
6.6
18.4
21.3
22.2
37.3
16.4
46.9
15.4
High income
25.0
32.3
27.1
Comfortable or
prosperous income
18.9
Enough to get by
15.8
42.0
18.4
14.7
49.5
50.3
42.5
45.3
26.1
16.2
1980 1990
All children
12
8.7
15.3
14.8
23.8
6.8
25.9
27.6
42.4
8.9
17.5
1980 1990
White,
not Hispanic
1980 1990
Black,
not Hispanic
1980 1990
Hispanic
(of any race)
Low income
Our family incomes are higher
if we live with two parents.
In 1990, 69 percent of chilĆ
dren in twoĆparent families
had comfortable or high
family incomes compared
with 47 percent in fatherĆ
only families and 27 percent
in motherĆonly families.
percent of children in
fatherĆonly families and 16
percent of children in
twoĆparent families.
for nonĆHispanic Blacks and
44 percent for Hispanics.
Among motherĆonly families,
nonĆHispanic Black and
Hispanic children were most
likely to be in lowĆincome
families, at 69 percent for
each compared with 46
percent for nonĆHispanic
White children.
For children in twoĆparent
families, the chances of livĆ
ing at comfortable or high
income levels reached 74
percent for nonĆHispanic
Whites, but only 57 percent
About 58 percent of
children in motherĆonly
families were lowĆincome
families compared with 34
Figure 12.
Family Income Level for Children by Parental
Living Arrangements: 1990
Low income
Enough to get by
Comfortable or
prosperous income
(Percent distribution)
High income
Living with two parents
All children
White,
not Hispanic
Black,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
(of any race)
15.8
15.1
11.8
42.5
14.0
26.6
44.7
24.8
29.5
18.6
35.3
38.7
17.9
20.9
32.4
11.4
Living with mother only
58.0
All children
White,
not Hispanic
15.3
46.1
17.8
Black,
not Hispanic
68.6
Hispanic
(of any race)
69.0
21.3
5.2
28.3
13.5
7.9
15.2
13.4
14.8
2.8
2.8
Living with father only
All children
White,
not Hispanic
Black,
not Hispanic
Hispanic
(of any race)
33.9
18.8
24.9
33.7
17.9
44.7
47.7
13.6
39.0
19.7
21.4
18.2
28.2
25.1
7.5
5.8
13
Our official poverty rate is higher if
we live with one parent.
The poverty rate for children
in 1990 was 18 percent, but
it was 3 or 4 times larger for
nonĆHispanic Blacks and
Hispanics than for nonĆ
Hispanic Whites.
twice as likely to be poor,
and children in motherĆonly
families were more than 5
times as likely to be poor.
about 2 times the rate for
nonĆHispanic Whites.
Among children in twoĆparent
families, the Hispanic poverty
rate was more than 3 times
greater than for nonĆHispanic
White children, and the rate
for nonĆHispanic Blacks was
Nine percent of children in
twoĆparent families were
poor, but children in fatherĆ
only families were more than
The poverty rate for Hispanic
and nonĆHispanic Black
children in motherĆonly famiĆ
lies was much greater than
for nonĆHispanic Whites in
motherĆonly families.
Figure 13.
Poverty Rate for Children by Parental Living
Arrangements: 1980 and 1990
Total
White, not Hispanic
Black, not Hispanic
(Percent in poverty)
Hispanic (of any race)
All children
1980
16.3
10.2
37.3
30.4
All children
1990
18.2
11.0
39.7
32.2
Living with two parents
9.0
6.3
14.9
21.9
Living with mother only
46.8
35.0
57.7
57.2
Living with father only
23.2
15.9
32.7
32.7
14
Our chances of having a comfortable,
prosperous, or high family income depend
on the amount of time our parents work.
For nonĆHispanic White chilĆ
dren in families with only one
working parent, the proporĆ
tion experiencing a comfortĆ
able, prosperous, or high
standard of living was higher
if the parent was working full
time than if the parent was
working part time.
For nonĆHispanic Black
children and for Hispanic
children in families with only
one employed parent, the
proportions experiencing this
standard of living were subĆ
stantially lower than for nonĆ
Hispanic Whites.
For children living with
two employed parents, if
one worked full time year
round and the other worked
part time, the proportion
experiencing this economic
level was higher than in
families with parents who
worked less.
Figure 14.
Percent With Comfortable, Prosperous,
or High Family Income for Children by
Parental Amount of Work and Living
Arrangements: 1990
Two parents work
(Percent with comfortable, prosperous, or
high family income)
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother did not work
Mother part-time, father absent
89.7
77.9
71.6
64.7
50.7
32.6
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother did not work
Mother part-time, father absent
All children
22.7
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother did not work
Mother part-time, father absent
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother did not work
Mother part-time, father absent
One parent works
91.6
80.6
75.6
69.7
57.0
40.6
White, not Hispanic
28.9
84.2
63.4
63.4
38.0
41.0
17.7
16.3
Black, not Hispanic
79.1
58.5
55.7
36.9
42.5
15.5
17.6
Hispanic (of any race)
15
Our chances of having a low family income are
similar in traditional" families and in motherĆonly
families where the mother is a fullĆtime worker.
For nonĆHispanic White chilĆ
dren in traditional" families
where the father was a fullĆ
time worker and the mother a
fullĆtime homemaker and in
motherĆonly families where
the mother was a fullĆtime
worker, the chances of
having a low family income
were small.
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
NonĆHispanic White children
in families where only one
parent worked were 2 times
more likely to have a low
family income if the parent
worked part time than if the
parent worked full time.
For nonĆHispanic Black and
Hispanic children, the
Figure 15.
Percent With Low Family Income for
Children by Parental Amount of Work
and Living Arrangements: 1990
Two parents work
(Percent with low family income)
One parent works
2.4
7.5
11.1
16.5
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
24.1
Father part-time, mother did not work
48.7
Mother part-time, father absent
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
1.8
6.0
8.8
12.5
18.2
40.0
54.7
Mother part-time, father absent
15.0
15.7
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
36.7
33.1
Father part-time, mother did not work
65.0
70.1
Mother part-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother did not work
Mother part-time, father absent
16
White, not Hispanic
3.4
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
All children
62.1
Father part-time, mother did not work
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
chances of having a low
family income were much
lower in traditional" families
and motherĆonly families
where one parent worked full
time year round than in those
with one employed parent
who worked part time.
Black, not
Hispanic
5.8
18.4
19.7
32.5
38.8
66.3
67.3
Hispanic
(of any race)
Whether we live with two parents or only
our mother, our official poverty rates are
higher if we are Black or Hispanic.
Poverty rates were lower
for nonĆHispanic White,
than for nonĆHispanic Black,
and Hispanic children, if
they lived with two
working parents.
Whether they lived with two
parents or only their mother,
if children had only one workĆ
ing parent and the parent
was a fullĆtime worker, the
poverty rate was 2 to 4 times
greater for nonĆHispanic
Blacks and Hispanics than it
was for nonĆHispanic Whites.
The poverty rates were highĆ
er still for children in twoĆ
parent and motherĆonly famiĆ
lies with one working parent
who was a partĆtime worker.
Figure 16.
Poverty Rate for Children by
Parental Amount of Work and Living
Arrangements: 1990
Two parents work
One parent works
(Percent in poverty)
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
0.7
2.7
4.4
7.8
11.1
34.8
Father part-time, mother did not work
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
0.7
2.0
3.2
5.3
7.2
27.3
Father part-time, mother did not work
0.7
5.5
6.9
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
18.5
17.2
48.9
Father part-time, mother did not work
57.3
Mother part-time, father absent
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
Father part-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother did not work
Mother full-time, father absent
Father part-time, mother did not work
Mother part-time, father absent
White, not Hispanic
41.6
Mother part-time, father absent
Father full-time, mother full-time
Father full-time, mother part-time
All children
48.9
Mother part-time, father absent
Black, not Hispanic
1.3
7.4
8.8
21.2
16.4
49.5
53.0
Hispanic (of any race)
17
Information in this report is based on the 1980 and
1990 Census of Population and Housing, Public Use
Microdata Samples. Estimates are based on a subsample
of the full census sample and may differ from the official
100Ćpercent or sample census figures. The deviation of a
sample estimate from the average of all possible samples
is called the sampling error. Sampling error measures the
variation among the estimates from all possible samples
and is a measure of the precision with which an estimate
from a particular sample approximates the average result.
Differences also can occur because of the interview situaĆ
tion and the processing rules differing between the
100Ćpercent and sample tabulations. These types of difĆ
ferences are referred to as nonsampling errors. Some estiĆ
mates were drawn from Donald J. Hernandez, Russell Sage Foundation, New York, 1993.
We, the American Blacks
We, the American Hispanics
We, the American Asians
We, the American Pacific Islanders
We, the First Americans
We, the Americans: Our Homes
We, the American Foreign Born
We, the American Women
We, the American Elderly
We, the Americans: Our Education
We, the Americans
For additional information, please contact:
Marriage and Family Statistics Branch
Population Division
Bureau of the Census
Washington, DC 20233