Racism

A widely accepted definition of racism does not exist. Instead, significant historical changes in U.S. race relations over the course of the 20th century, particularly the civil rights movement, have given rise to different conceptions of racism. Although nearly all scholars believe that racism still exists in the United States, there is considerable disagreement about its nature and extent. Some of the definitions of racism are complementary; others are incompatible. Even as the nation becomes increasingly multicultural, the topic of racism remains an important and widely debated concept.

The Traditional Perspective on Racism

Fifty years of public opinion polls show a significant decline in whites’ self-reported racial prejudice. Over a similar period of time, Americans of color have increased their representation in the top half of the income and wealth distributions; they attend elite institutions of higher education in record numbers, sit at the heads of Fortune 500 companies, and serve at the highest levels [Page 1796]of elected office. The number of interracial marriages continues to grow as well. Millions of white Americans voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.

The November 1979 Iranian hostage crisis precipitated a wave of anti-Iranian sentiment in the United States. Even though most of these racist sentiments have gradually declined over the years, some Iraniam immigrants in the United States distance themselves from their nationality and identify themselves instead by their ethnic or religious affiliations.

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