Racial Formation in the United States

First published in 1986, and updated for the Obama age, this book discusses how the fight for racial equality led to women’s rights, gay rights, and other efforts for equality and acceptance. Michael Omi and Howard Winant craft a long and detailed book of racial history in the USA, with regard to ethnicity, economics, migration, and politics. Beginning with a chapter on ethnicity, they write how the US ideal of race was based on white skin as being superior, while others were beneath them. However, by the early 20^th century, the ideal had turned more to those of Anglo Saxon versus foreigner, as the country was now teaming with immigrants.

For example, Chicago in the early 20^th century experienced racism, as the Irish, Italian, and Jewish populations fought for their hold on the job market. On the other hand, Hawaii didn’t have a whites versus blacks mentality; there’s was a case of Anglo Hawaiians against the natives and Asians. In Europe, there wasn’t racism, but anti-Semitism. In WWI the USA had anti-German sentiments, and in WWII, it was against Japanese Americans. Now the target ethnicity is Arabs and Muslim Americans. Who knows what the next feared minority will be?

This book continues with treatises on religious based prejudice, scientific racism, and class conflict. Though not specifically mentioned in this book, there was once a conflict between the Puritans and Quakers in New England, but it ended after the English Civil War in the mid-1600’s. With the Puritans no longer the majority, their powers ebbed. A lot of it was economic too; the Puritans weren’t the only industrious people in Massachusetts, so they lost their economic dominance too.

In the last chapter, on neoliberalism and Obama, the authors discuss economics. It seems that the problem today involves class and economics more than color alone. For instance, Obama didn’t create the financial meltdown, but he didn’t do much for the people who suffered from it. He agreed to bail out the auto industry, but not the foreclosed homeowners, nor has he done much for the traumatized war veterans who can’t afford therapy. He did nothing about the Mormon polygamists who kidnap and traffic underage girls, nor any other issue involving sex trafficking. Will he do anything about ISIS recruiting Americans?

Racial Formation in the United States pulls no punches. The authors are clear that talking about race can backfire, and contrary to what Eric Holder says, we can’t have a dialogue on race. In the book’s discussion on 80’s and 90’s racial politics, reverse discrimination was a big deal at the time, and conservative politicians were using code words like “welfare” and “low income.” In the so-called “post racial era,” where liberals thought a black president would cure our troubles, this book is more important than ever. We need to look at race frankly and honestly, without worrying about whether or not it offends.