Racial Distance Matters Too: Racial and Ethnic Reference Dependence in Recreation Decision Making

Abstract

Using data on angler choices from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we demonstrate a level of racial aversion in which anglers are less likely to fish from a site with larger black and Hispanic population proportions than what exist in their home origin. We are unable to identify a convincing mechanism for this behavior, though there is slightly less aversion among more avid anglers. Our results provide a novel perspective on the role of race in society. We believe that recreation demand modeling should routinely consider racial distance as an explanatory variable.

Keywords: Recreation Demand, Site Choice Model, Travel Cost Model, Race and Ethnicity, Environmental Justice

JEL Classification: D63, Q26, Q51