This article explores several issues pertaining to the nature of dominant group ethnicity in the United States. Dominant group ethnic identity tends to be less visible and less salient as a result of dominant status. This “hidden’ ethnicity has resulted in the systematic un‐derdevelopment of the study of race and ethnic relations with regard to the analysis of the role of dominant group ethnicity. In addition, the taken‐for‐granted nature of dominant group identity has facilitated attempts by the dominant group to maintain its dominant position in the system of ethnic stratification. Finally, this article examines the process through which dominant group ethnicity has evolved and assesses the consequences of these changes for race and ethnic relations in the United States.

One central area of dispute in current racial politics is whether an act, policy, or event constitutes racism. I contend that the core of these debates involves competing conceptions of racism. Using text from a variety of media sources, I examine the different ways in which racism is defined and how claims and counterclaims are contextualized. I also explore how the dynamic nature of racial discourse leads to the emergence of new ways of defining racism as advocates seek advantages in political debate. Finally, I connect the struggle involving racism as a contested concept to two larger racial ideologies: color-blindness and systemic racism.

The study of color-blind racial ideology has made a significant contribution to the understanding of contemporary racism through its elaboration of the dominant racial ideology—a worldview grounded in the claim that race no longer “matters” as an obstacle to success in a “postracial” United States. Despite, or perhaps as a result of this success, the study of color-blind racial ideology has in many ways become stagnant. Following a critique of the current state of theorizing color-blindness, I strive to lay the foundation for a broader framework for understanding racial ideology. In this article, I undertake three core tasks: first, to present a general framework for understanding racial ideologies as fluid and dynamic constructions that are linked to a racial system; second, to outline how color-blind racial ideology is evolving and adapting in response to political challenges and changing social conditions; and finally, to discuss challenges to the hegemony of color-blindness and to propose an agenda for research on the future direction of racial ideology.

No abstract

REFLEXIVE STATEMENTAs a teacher and scholar in the area of race and ethnic relations, I have become increasingly interested in how Americans talk about race in public, in the classroom, and in private conversations. This research stems from my involvement in the school desegregation process in the town in which I reside. As I attended meetings and hearings, I was repeatedly struck by such phenomena as the presentation of non-racist credentials, the deliberate avoidance of issues of race, and the rhetorical strategies which were employed when race was discussed. I firmly believe that we will make little progress in resolving the racial problems of the United States until we undertake a more introspective examination of our racial understandings and come prepared to engage in a more open discussion of issues of race. I hope that this examination of our current public discourse on race will contribute to such a process.