Donald J. Hernandez, Ph.D.

Professor, Sociology University at Albany, The State University of New York donh@albany.edu

Dr. Hernandez's research has focused on historical and contemporary changes in the social, demographic, and economic circumstances of children in the U.S. With support from the National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, Social Science Research Council, and U.S. Census Bureau, Hernandez conducted original analyses of historical vital statistics and decennial census data for 1790 to 1980, and subsequent Current Population Surveys, to conduct the first national study using children as the unit of analysis to document the timing, magnitude, and reasons for revolutionary changes experienced by children since the Great Depression in family composition, parent's education, father's and mother's work, and family income and poverty (America's Children: Resources from Family, Government, and the Economy). More recently, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine, he conducted the first national study of immigration designed to assess change in the socioeconomic and family circumstances of children in the U.S. by specific country of origin from 1910 to 1990 (Children of Immigrants: Health, Adjustment, and Public Assistance and From Generation to Generation to Generation: The Health and Well-Being of Children in Immigrant Families).

Hernandez is currently conducting research with Census 2000 data on the nature and sources of diversity in the geography of economic opportunity for children in particular localities in the U.S. across immigrant generation, country of origin, and race/ethnic groups, as well as assessing differentials in their demographic, educational, and neighborhood and housing situations. For nearly 150 child indicators developed for this project for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 100 metropolitan areas, New York City and the 5 boroughs, and most California counties, see www.albany.edu/csda/children. His current research also includes the development of an alternative poverty measure to more accurately assess economic deprivation in the U.S. ("Child Poverty in the U.S.: A New Family Budget Approach with Comparison to European Countries" in Childhood, Generational Order, and the Welfare State: Exploring Children's Social and Economic Welfare), a study of factors accounting for low enrollment in early education programs among children in immigrant families, and activities to improve access to data for research on factors associated with children's success from pre-kindergarten through grade 3.

Prior to joining the University at Albany, he served at the U.S. Census Bureau as Chief of Marriage and Family Statistics, where he led the development of the child well-being topical module in the Survey of Income and Program Participation. While there, he also led the development, as Senior Subject Matter Expert, of the 10-year longitudinal Survey of Program Dynamics which was funded to assess the consequences of welfare reform, especially for children, in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (welfare reform).

UCLA Center for Culture & Health, 760 Westwood Plaza, Box 62, Los Angeles, CA 90024   FRC4@ucla.edu