White Identity Politics Quotes

“Donald Trump was successful not merely because he appealed to whites’ worst racial prejudices, but also because he promised to protect the status of whites. His success is a sign that in the years to come, efforts to achieve racial equality in the United States may now need to be fought on two fronts; one that addresses whites’ racial biases, and another that assuages their perception of status threat and its consequences.”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics

“As Key wrote decades ago, “democracies decay, if they do, not because of the cupidity of the masses, but because of the stupidity and self-seeking of leadership echelons … the masses do not corrupt themselves; if they are corrupt, they have been corrupted”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics

“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics

“The whites I describe here are not marginalized extremists who actively participate in the production of a white, masculine, and patriarchal ideology – one that advocates for the separation of groups and the superiority of whites (Ferber 1998). The whites in my account are a much broader group and far greater in number. In fact, whites high on racial solidarity comprise approximately 30–40 percent of the white population and, like most whites, the vast majority of those who identify with their racial group reject assertions of white supremacy and racism. And while these whites may share some of the same political views as their more extremist counterparts, they are not one and the same. This sizeable portion of white Americans are not especially interested in the separation of groups and the denigration of other races and ethnicities. Instead, as we shall see, they are primarily concerned with their in-group and desire to protect its status. Nevertheless, this work may provide somewhat of a cautionary tale. With evidence in hand that elites can appeal to whites’ racial interests explicitly and successfully, there is potential for the ranks of white nationalists to grow.”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics

“This book offers a framework for understanding racial conflict in today’s more racially and ethnically diverse nation. I contend that, today, whites’ racial attitudes are not merely defined by prejudice; many whites also possess a sense of racial identity and are motivated to protect their group’s collective interests and to maintain its status. As well shall see, whiteness is now a salient and central component of American politics. White racial solidarity influences many whites’ worldview and guides their political attitudes and behavior.”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics

“This work joins a long line of research, which argues that racial conflict and racial inequality in the United States are not merely the product of learned racial prejudice; such disparities are also the product of white efforts to protect their power and status (Blumer 1958; Bobo 1999; Klinkner and Smith 1999; Masuoka and Junn 2013; Parker and Barreto 2013). Indeed, many of the whites in my account are seeking to reassert a racial order in which their group is firmly at the top.”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics

“A great body of evidence indicates that as humans, our need to belong, to see ourselves as similar to others with whom we share common goals, is innate. We are, so to speak, primed to adopt group attachments around our social groupings, whether they be based on religion, occupation, or something else. Not surprisingly, these identities can profoundly influence our political preferences and behavior.”
― Ashley Jardina, White Identity Politics