I am trying to export a dataset that has states (row) and ethnicity/race (columns) broken down by survey year (1996-2012). I would like the race/ethnicity values to be percentages. I have been trying to get what I am looking for but am having trouble.
I am not sure which IPUMS dataset you are using. For IPUMS CPS or IPUMS USA, the resulting data extract will be a microdata file where each row represents a single person and their responses to all of the variables. You can use a stats package to create a custom tabulation that is race/ethnicity by year. IPUMS NHGIS will provide you with summary data already in tabular form (i.e., you don’t need to make these yourself from the underlying microdata), but there isn’t annual data at the state-level prior to 2009. You may be interested in the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program for this information.