The Coming Majority-Minority State?: Media Coverage of U.S. Census Projections, Demographic Threat, and the Construction of Racial Boundaries

Abstract

This study analyzes media coverage of Census Bureau projections showing that the U.S. will become a majority-minority state by mid-century. I argue that the mismatch between the racial/ethnic categories used by the media in their coverage of Census projections, and the official government categories used by the Census, help construct social boundaries around “whiteness” that allows for growth of minority populations to be presented as a challenge for “American” society. I contend that media portrayals of Census projections can influence public perceptions of the racial/ethnic composition of the U.S., thus impacting political attitudes and voting behavior among the U.S. populace.

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