Colonialism and Race in America

Flashcards on colonialism, race and American politics. Vocabulary style flashcards with terms and definitions.

Race

Inextricably linked to colonialism/capitalism and the desire to extract resources/labor/profit; justifies subjugation/slavery.

Doctrine of Discovery

Justified taking land from indigenous populations.

White Nationalism

Belief that American identity is associated with Whiteness.

Institutionalized Racism

Race becomes engrained in systems, leading to systemic racism.

Scientific Racism

Use of science to justify racial hierarchies and perceived differences.

Eugenics

Belief in improving genetic quality of human populations.

Anti-miscengenation Laws

Laws banning interracial marriages/unions.

Caucasian

Term first used by Johann Blumenbach to classify White people.

Johann Blumenbach

German physiologist who classified races into five categories.

New Deal

Significant driver of White upward mobility; often denied to Black Americans.

McCarran-Walter Act of 1952

Removed racial restrictions on immigration/naturalization, but kept national origin quotas.

Johnson-Reed Act of 1924

Those ineligible for citizenship could not immigrate to the U.S.

VRA/CRA (1964/1965)

Legislation that aimed to end poll taxes, literacy tests, and segregation.

Institutional Racism

Racism entrenched in systems of governance and authority.

White Privilege

An 'invisible package of unearned assets.'

Colorblind Policies

Policies that ignore racial disparities, often exacerbating inequalities.

National Origin Quotas

Limited immigration quotas for all of Asia.

Zero Sum Terms

Any attempts to address inequalities are often couches in these terms.

Racial Animosity

Modern discussions of race too often focus on this on the part of individuals.

Racial Hierarchies

Systems of privilege create an incentive for the status quo to be maintained by those who benefit from it, but also gives Whites power to help dismantle them.