Behind 2016’s Turmoil, a Crisis of White Identity – Amanda Taub / NYT Magazine

white-male-trump-jpgreCall it the crisis of whiteness.

White anxiety has fueled this year’s political tumult in the West: Britain’s surprising vote to exit the European Union, Donald J. Trump’s unexpected capture of the Republican presidential nomination in the United States, the rise of right-wing nationalism in Norway, Hungary, Austria and Greece.

Whiteness, in this context, is more than just skin color. You could define it as membership in the “ethno-national majority,” but that’s a mouthful. What it really means is the privilege of not being defined as “other.”

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About the Author

Ronald J. Sheehy
Dr. Ronald J. Sheehy, molecular biologist, retired university administrator, a frequent contributor to Salon, is the author of numerous articles on race, and a memoir, Possibilities: A Search for Personal Liberation.

1 Comment on "Behind 2016’s Turmoil, a Crisis of White Identity – Amanda Taub / NYT Magazine"

  1. A timely and astute observation and explanation.

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