RACIAL-DIFFERENCES IN MOTHER-CHILD CORESIDENCE IN THE PAST

The authors argue that racial differences in contemporary family patte rns in the United States reflect substantial cultural and historical c ontinuity of African and Western European family pat terns. Discussion focuses on the coresidence of mothers and young children. Using data from the Public Use Samples of the 1910 Census, the authors show that African American mothers were much more likely than European American, native-born mothers to have young children who were not coresidents. The authors argue that sending children to live elsewhere is a violati on of Western norms, These norms were violated more frequently by Euro pean Americans and by African Americans in crisis situations. Neverthe less, racial differences remain strong. African American mothers, comp ared with European Americans, were especially likely to have young chi ldren not living with them when the mothers were enumerated in spouse- present situations. This finding suggests that mother-child coresidenc e norms were weaker for African Americans than for native-born Europea n Americans.