Notes on the categories of skin color in the censuses and on the subjective classification of color in Brazil: 1980/1990

Abstract

The use of race or skin color as categories of analysis makes sense only if the concept is stable over time. However, it seems clear that there is no such stability in the classification of color from one Brazilian census to the next. This paper presents an original methodology to analyze transfers in categories of skin color in Brazilian censuses. The method proposed is an extension of that developed by Wood and Carvalho (1994), and incorporates the existence of international migration in the analysis. Data from the 1980s were used to test the method, since emigration during that decade was far from insignificant. This methodology allows one to analyze separately the effects of international migration and of migration among colors in Brazil. The results for the 1980s confirm those described by Wood and Carvalho for previous decades and indicate that, during the 1980s, there was an increase in those who declared themselves to be “pardo” (brown, or mixed), considerably higher than might be expected from their natural growth rate. However, there seems to be a movement toward lower net losses of those who declared themselves “black” or “white” during this same period. The importance of considering migratory movements is also shown, when the population cannot be considered closed.