Julie Dowling

Julie A. Dowling is Associate Professor of Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her research examines Latino/a racial identity construction and racial attitudes, with particular focus on U.S. Census methodologies and definitions of race/ethnicity.

Her book Mexican Americans and the Question of Race received national recognition. She served on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee (2014-2020), chairing it during the 2020 Census, advising on counting vulnerable populations.

Current collaborative research investigates how racial groups perceive government institutions using interview and survey data from Chicago and San Francisco.