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For some, Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men who raised, protected, and guided them. Others have complicated or distant relationships with their fathers. Sadly, fathers of color are often stereotyped in ways meant to diminish and demean our communities, yet here we celebrate the powerful impact fathers of color have on family life.

However, there are real facts about diverse dads that should change perceptions of fathers who are not Ward Cleaver or Mike Brady. Fathers of color parent as actively as other dads, and contribute significantly to their families and communities.

  • There are 37 million families in the United States with children younger than 18, including married and unmarried couples and single parents. Of those, 27.5 million are white, 8.2 million are Latino, and 5.4 million are Black. Interestingly, there are 2.2 million single-father families with minor children. About 71 percent are white, but 21 percent are Latino and 19 percent are Black, meaning there are more single-dad families than many might believe, according to U.S. Census Bureau Data.
  • The number of Black families with single dads has increased dramatically. In 1990, roughly 472,000 were reported. But by 2023, there were 1.1 million, Census information shows. Fathers of color, especially in these families, play pivotal roles. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, 47.5 percent of children live without a father in the home (not necessarily without paternal involvement), but that is the lowest amount since 1973. This makes it the first time since 1976 that more than half of Black children are being raised with a father in the home.
  • The absent Black father myth continues to persist due to years of media misreporting and poor policymaking. But there are multiple studies that debunk those falsehoods as little more than stereotypes. Fathers of color, particularly Black fathers, defy these myths. One of the strongest arguments in this area was in the 2010 book, “The Myth of the Missing Black Father” by Roberta Coles and Charles L. Green. According to an excerpt: An increasing number of quantitative and qualita­tive studies find that of men who become fathers through nonmari­tal births, Black men are least likely (when compared to white and Hispanic fathers) to marry or cohabit with the mother (Mott 1994; Lerman and Sorensen 2000). But they were found to have the highest rates (estimates range from 20 percent to over 50 percent) of visitation or provision of some caretaking or in-kind support (more than formal child support).
  • Latino dads are finding particular challenges nationwide due to Trump administration immigration policy. The Brookings Institute notes that shifts in the policy will likely impact Latino families. A recent study that it cited says 57 percent of Latino families, including 74 percent of immigrants, are very concerned about deportation. For fathers of color, like Latino dads, this challenge compounds family stresses. But according to research from the National Fatherhood Initiative, 64 percent of Latino dads are immigrants. At the same time, immigrant and U.S.-born Latino fathers tend to live with their children and hold down jobs. About 73 percent live with all of their children while 82 percent are married or cohabitating cases like that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia are an example, many Latino dads could face difficulty from the federal government. 
  • There has been an overall increase of child care time by fathers with an average 7.8 hours per week committed. But Asian fathers saw an increase of 2 hours per week over the past two decades, according to the Institute for Family Studies. Fathers of color continue to lead the way, as Asian fathers prioritize child care activities among men with an average of 4.7 hours per week. White dads averaged 2.8 hours, Black dads 2.3 hours and 1.9 hours for Latino dads.

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