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Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America Hardcover – July 19, 2022

by David E. Bernstein (Author)

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A call for the separation of race and state, backed by a deep dive into the surreal world of racial classification in America.

"The racial categories that the schools use are completely bonkers, an arbitrary mess mostly left over from the work of federal bureaucrats in the 1970s that can't withstand the slightest scrutiny.... Justice Samuel Alito raised this issue in [the Harvard affirmative action case], pretty clearly relying on the work of George Mason University professor David Bernstein, who eviscerated the categories in an amicus brief and has written a book on their origin and implications, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America."

-National Review

Americans have come to accept certain standard ethnic and racial classifications--Black, White, Asian American, Hispanic, and Native American--as if they are part of the natural order of things. In fact, they are the product of regulations quietly enacted by federal bureaucrats in 1977. Where did these classifications come from? How are they defined? If someone's self-identification is disputed, how are they enforced? What should become of them in the future, with affirmative action preferences that rely on these classifications under legal threat, and the classifications themselves becoming increasingly incoherent after decades of large-scale immigration and increased interracial marriage? This book answers all those questions in a lively, well-researched, persuasive manner.

Print length

208 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bombardier Books
Publication date

July 19, 2022
Dimensions

6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1637581734
ISBN-13

978-1637581735
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Racial classifications are ubiquitous in American life, but David believes they are becoming increasingly arbitrary and incoherent. His solution is to abolish official racial classification altogether and replace it with a separation of race and state." - Jonah Goldberg, The Remnant

"Potentially 2022's most consequential American book." - George Will, Washington Post

"The U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Monday whether racial preferences in college admissions are illegal. David Bernstein argues they're irrational." - Wall Street Journal

"The racial categories that the schools use are completely bonkers, an arbitrary mess mostly left over from the work of federal bureaucrats in the 1970s that can't withstand the slightest scrutiny. The administrators who rely on these categories are beholden to senseless and unscientific distinctions—they aren't even competent or rational racialists. Justice Samuel Alito raised this issue in the arguments, pretty clearly relying on the work of George Mason University professor David Bernstein, who eviscerated the categories in an amicus brief and has written a book on their origin and implications, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America." - Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief, National Review

"Go out and get this book." Michael Shermer, best-selling author and founding publisher, Skeptic magazine

About the Author

David E. Bernstein holds a University Professorship chair at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, where he has been teaching since 1995.

Known as a fearless contrarian, Professor Bernstein often challenges the conventional wisdom with prodigious research and sharp, original analysis. His book Rehabilitating Lochner was praised across the political spectrum as "intellectual history in its highest form," a "fresh perspective and a cogent analysis," "delightful and informative," "sharp and iconoclastic," "well-written and destined to be influential," and "a terrific work of historical revisionism."

George Will, writing in the Washington Post, proclaimed that Bernstein's latest book, Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classifications in America is "potentially 2022's most consequential American book." Professor Scott Douglas Gerber, reviewing Classified in Law & Liberty, added that it's a "must-read." Less than a year after its publication date, Classified has already upended the debate over racial classifications in America. Among other things, the book is widely credited with inspiring several pointed questions from Supreme Court Justices during oral arguments about the constitutionality of university affirmative action programs.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bombardier Books (July 19, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1637581734
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1637581735
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #859,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #266 in Civil Rights Law (Books)
- #1,238 in Civil Rights & Liberties (Books)
- #3,341 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)

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4.7 112 ratings

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David E. Bernstein

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David E. Bernstein holds a University Professorship chair at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, where he has been teaching constitutional law and other classes since 1995.

Bernstein is the author of five books, including the Amazon Top 50 bestseller, "You Can't Say That! The Growing Threat to Civil Liberties from Antidiscrimination Law," and coauthor of two more.

Professor Bernstein’s book Rehabilitating Lochner was praised across the political spectrum as “intellectual history in its highest form,” a “fresh perspective and a cogent analysis,” “delightful and informative,” “sharp and iconoclastic,” and “a terrific work of historical revisionism.”

Columnist George Will wrote that Bernstein’s most recent book, Classified, The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America, may be “the most consequential American book of 2022.”

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J. Cone

Enlightening

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024

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The author clearly and simply lays out the historical framework of racial categorization by the United States government over time. Very well done.

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2023

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David Bernstein's Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America is a timely and important book that offers a fresh perspective on the history and future of race in America. Bernstein argues that the current system of racial classification, which is based on the idea of discrete and mutually exclusive racial groups, is arbitrary, counterproductive, and ultimately harmful. He traces the history of racial classification in America from its origins in slavery to its current use in government, education, and other institutions. He also examines the ways in which racial classification has been used to justify discrimination and inequality.

Bernstein's book is well-written and engaging. He does an excellent job of explaining complex legal and historical concepts in a clear and accessible way. He also provides a wealth of evidence to support his arguments. Classified is an important book that should be read by anyone who is interested in race, law, or American history.

One of the most compelling arguments that Bernstein makes is that the current system of racial classification is arbitrary. He points out that there is no scientific basis for dividing people into discrete racial groups. Race is a social construct, and the boundaries between racial groups are constantly shifting. For example, people who are considered to be white today were once considered to be non-white.

Bernstein also argues that the current system of racial classification is counterproductive. He points out that it reinforces the idea that people of different races are fundamentally different. This can lead to prejudice and discrimination. For example, studies have shown that people who are asked to check a box indicating their race are more likely to be discriminated against in employment and housing.

Finally, Bernstein argues that the current system of racial classification is harmful. He points out that it stigmatizes people of color. It also makes it difficult for people to identify with their own culture and heritage. For example, people who are of mixed race may feel like they don't fit in anywhere.

Classified is an important book that challenges the way we think about race in America. Bernstein's arguments are persuasive, and his book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in race, law, or American history.

4 people found this helpful

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paul hughes

important book

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023

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Great explanation of how we got to where we are on racial classification in America. Pulls back the curtain on some of the most troubling aspects of racial classification.

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Alan Hohn

Detailed and Thoughtful

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2022

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The specific racial categories that Americans see when filling out the census, government paperwork, and financial industry forms are so familiar that it is easier to slide over them than to think deeply about them. When one has checked or left blank dozens of boxes labeling oneself as "Hispanic", or "White, Non-Hispanic", or "Black or African American", then even if one recognizes that there are people who don't easily fit these categories (or fit more than one), one is unlikely to spend much time thinking about whether these categories ever made sense in the first place.

For this reason, a significant benefit of this book is the way it shows the contingent nature of our current ways of categorizing people according to race and ethnicity. But for the specific series of decisions made by individual agencies and judges, whole groups of people could have been categorized differently. Most interesting was the discussion of the relative success or failure of some groups to have themselves categorized, or once categorized, to include or exclude certain people from their category in search of maximum advantage.

Both supporters and opponents of our current system of affirmative action will benefit from reading this book. No matter what one thinks of differential government benefits based on racial or ethnic group membership, this book convincingly demonstrates that the process by which our current collection of racial and ethnic categories are defined reflects political power as much or more than a desire for justice. And as a result, whether one supports or opposes affirmative action, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that our current system is ill-suited to accomplish the stated objectives from the era in which it was first established, much less to adapt itself effectively to America's changing landscape.

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Chrysippo

More a catalogue

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2023

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David Bernstein's session with Michael Shermer on the latter's podcast was engrossing, so much so that I was prompted to buy the book despite it featuring only American institutions. However, the book is rather a dry list of the legal processes that led to America's rather nonsensical racial categories with little of the nonsensical effects on people and institutions that featured in the podcast.

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Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America Hardcover – July 19, 2022

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