SURNAME ANALYSIS FOR ESTIMATING LOCAL CONCENTRATION OF HISPANICS AND ASIANS

Surname analysis is a potentially useful technique for identifying mem bers of particular racial, ethnic, or language communities within st p opulation. We review the existing state of the art for identifying per sons of Hispanic or Asian origin, based on surnames distinctive of eac h group. We describe the logic of surname analysis, profile several av ailable surname dictionaries, and illustrate their applications in loc al redistricting. Results of our ongoing validation studies suggest pr omising future directions for improving accuracy and broadening applic ations.