Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States [Paperback]

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0742516334 | ISBN-13: 978-0742516335

Many Americans believe racism has all but disappeared, and that we live in a truly colorblind society. Yet people of color lag behind whites in almost all social indicators. They are poorer, less educated, and have less access to health care. If race has become largely irrelevant--and racists are few and far between--how can these conditions persist? This new book challenges our racial common sense, showing that new, more subtle forms of discrimination have emerged that help preserve white privilege. This 'new racism' has produced a powerful ideology of 'color- blind racism' that justifies contemporary inequities. The voices of whites and African Americans heard in this book expose how white America manufactures nonracial accounts of persistent realities like residential and school segregation. Bonilla-Silva calls for a new civil rights movement anchored in the working-class, which is made up increasingly of female and minority members. While acknowledging the obstacles this movement will face, he demonstrates why equality of results, reparations, and the end of all structures of racial discrimination are vital to America's future. Feature points: --A powerful counterpoint to the writings of widely-read authors such as D'Souza, W. J. Wilson, and Steele. --Shows how racism has been transformed into new forms. --Contrasts the experiences of whites and minority Americans --Describes how cognitive, cultural and aesthetic factors shape racial constructions and experiences.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Color-blindness—the notion that we no longer have to take race into account in our public policies because racism has been overcome—is the ideology that currently sustains racial inequality in the United States. So argues Eduardo Bonilla-Silva in this powerful and incisive book. Only those whose minds and hearts are closed to the strong evidence of persistent prejudice and discrimination will fail to be convinced. (George Fredrickson )

An empirically rich and provocative account. Professor Bonilla-Silva has produced a study that will allow all Americans to think more deeply about how we talk about race. (Young, Alford A., Jr. )

Racism without Racists will make many readers uncomfortable, as it should. With care and a wicked sense of humor, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva explores the kind of subtle, everyday racism that some of 'our best friends' unconsciously perpetuate. (Robin D. G. Kelley )

Every generation of white Americans retools the old racist rationalizations to fit its era. With forthright directness, Bonilla-Silva exposes the current circumlocutions involving so-called 'color blindness.' (Tom Pettigrew )

Racism without Racists is one of the most clearly written and astute examinations of racial discourse to be found anywhere in the literature. (Jim Sidanius )

A tour de force probing of white racial attitudes that challenges the individualistic interpretations of leading survey researchers! One of the brilliant new talents in U.S. social science, Bonilla-Silva dissects and demolishes with his data-honed scalpel the ideological framework of 'colorblind racism' that is now dominant across white America. (Feagin, Joe R. )

This excellent book—suggested for more than just social scientists—is one of the few that provides ammunition for those who are seriously interested in breaking away from nonproductive discussions of race and ethnic relations. This is a must-read for all. Essential. (Choice Magazine )

About the Author

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is associate professor of sociology at Texas A&M University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (May 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742516334
• ISBN-13: 978-0742516335
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #562,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

197 of 221 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Analyzing "politically correct," neo-racist rhetoric April 24, 2005

By Vato-Curandero

Format:Paperback

I decided to purchase this book after reading a journal article by Dr. Bonilla-Silva in which he critiqued the tendency among some social scientists to take the "social construction of race" arguments to extreme and ridiculous degrees. For example, among some guilty white liberal sociologists and anthropologists the fact that race is a "social construction" has been misused to argue that, somehow, ethnicity doesn't really exist either and that those who claim an ethnic identity are guilty of "reifying race." This ridiculous argument is made by people who are too ignorant to realize that "race" and "ethnicity" are two entirely different concepts. Additionally, while race is indeed a socially-defined variable that differs across nations and societies and throughout time, one can not deny the social importance of race as a factor in American (or any other) society.

After reading that article by Bonilla-Silva, I was excited to take a look at "Racism Without Racists." In plain and simple language, Bonilla-Silva analyzes the racial rhetoric so common among white Americans in the post-Civil Rights era. How many times have you heard a white person utter the passive-aggressive qualifier of "I'm not a racist, but..."? or "I'm not prejudiced, but..."? Such phrases are used as intended buffers to qualify hostile, bigoted, racist, and/or angry statements about people of color - and they are used all the time. Even white teachers in my high school frequently issued these kind of prejudiced statements in class.

Another common tendency in the post-Civil Rights era is to automatically link "people of color" with "unqualified" and "whites" to "qualified." Bonilla-Silva analyzes this trend as well. Any time a non-white person occupies a position of authority, prestige, or power, they come under suspicion of getting a "free ride" or "handout." The ironic thing about this is that, since its inception, affirmative action has benefitted middle-class white females more than any other group in American society. White females account for approximately 80 percent of affirmative action's beneficiaries since the policies were originated in the early 1970s. Yet, how often do you hear white women angrily moaning that they are enjoying "free rides" and "hand outs" at the expense of white males?

Yet another one of my favorite arguments is the "Why can't we all just be Americans?" song and dance. This line is ususally uttered in conjunction with white anger about things such as Black History Month, the Puerto Rican Parade, Hispanic Heritage Month, or other public displays of non-white ethnic heritage. The commonplace rhetoric is to accuse such events as being "anti-white." In other words, Black History Month and the Puerto Rican Parade are "anti-white" and "racist" because "we don't have a 'white history month' or 'white parade." Ironically enough, white folks fail to become unglued over events like the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Irish-American Heritage Month, the Columbus Day Parade (which is, for all intents and purposes an Italian-American festivity), Jewish History Month, or any of the other numerous ethnic events honoring Greek, Polish, Russian, German, French, Cajun, Scottish and any other European heritage. A Puerto Rican Parade is "racist" and "anti-white", yet the St. Patrick's Day Parade is fine and acceptable...and Puerto Rico is part of the United States, while Ireland is not! Go figure.

This book hits the nail on the head. The Civil Rights legacy has brandished overt, explicitly racist sentiments as taboo and socially unacceptable. The result has been a reconfiguration of racial rhetoric, where people boldly declare that they "are not racists," construct whiteness as a social disadvantage, and white U.S.-born citizens have allegedly become an "oppressed majority" (in Rush Limbaugh's own terms). Bonilla-Silva's analysis is dead-on and for those who consciously or unconsciously subscribe to the rhetoric that the author critiques, well, this book is sure to rile their emotions.

64 of 76 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If open to understanding the minority perspective August 10, 2005

By gg

Format:Hardcover

This book may annoy, irritate, and even infuriate some, but if any of these emotions arise, you might ask yourself "why do I feel so defensive?"...and I promise, you will gather a bit of enlightment. The book portrays the perspective of minority peoples in a way that will open your eyes. It IS one-sided, but not because the author is a "racist", rather, he feels (it's in his Author's Note) that enough books are written ABOUT minorities from a "white perspective" view of the world, so he thought he would write a book that showed a distinct minority perspective on "white" culture. It is not meant to arise aggression, it is written to give realizations and enhance communications between the races.

64 of 81 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful, clearly written and argued book September 3, 2003

By Jim Lee

Format:Paperback

This is a powerful, clearly written and argued book on the nature of racism in contemporary America! I have not read many other books by social scientists that cut through the chase and tell it as it is. His claim, that there is a new game in town (he labels it "color-blind racism"), is backed up by interviews with young and old Americans. I STRONGLY endorse this book and will check out all the other books written by this scholar who represents a refreshing voice in the usually boring, pompous,
and unengaged work of academics in the USA.