2025 Theses Doctoral

Three Essays on Economic Insecurity and its Racial/Ethnic Inequalities in the United States

Tao, Stacie

This dissertation comprises three papers that examine economic insecurity, including income poverty and material hardships, as well as inequalities across racial and ethnic lines.

Paper I uncovers hidden disparities of economic insecurity rates within the Asian American population, among its 20 ethnic groups. Paper II investigates white–Asian poverty gaps among the six largest Asian ethnic groups, respectively, and considers how and to what extent demographic characteristics explain these gaps. Paper III estimates the effects of monthly and lump-sum payments from the expanded Child Tax Credit on child welfare risk factors, including economic insecurity and parenting outcomes.