Eileen O'Brien - Böcker

This book asserts the distinctive place that whites can take in the fight for racial justice, bringing together interviews with white antiracist activists from across North America. Avoiding the typical white options of being 'nonracist' or feeling guilty, these whites demonstrate the multitude of ways whites can be proactive in combating modern racism. These activists, of both genders and all ages, have arrived at their antiracist commitments through several different yet typical paths. These whites struggle to transform individuals, institutions, and themselves, to varying degrees, incurring risks as well as rewards along the way. Their affiliations with antiracist organizations, or lack thereof, play a crucial role in the differences among them and their approaches to antiracist work. The whites who are involved with antiracist groups come predominantly from either Anti-Racist Action or the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, and the contrast between these two groups woven throughout the analysis leads to the conclusion that there are different types of antiracism. Although unity among them may not be possible or even desirable, acceptance of a broader concept of racism by all antiracists is one of the ending suggestions for the future of antiracism.

The divide over race is usually framed as one over Black and White. Sociologist Eileen O'Brien is interested in that middle terrain, what sits in the ever-increasing gray area she dubbed the racial middle.The Racial Middle, tells the story of the other racial and ethnic groups in America, mainly Latinos and Asian Americans, two of the largest and fastest-growing minorities in the United States. Using dozens of in-depth interviews with people of various ethnic and generational backgrounds, Eileen O'Brien challenges the notion that, to fit into American culture, the only options available to Latinos and Asian Americans are either to become white or to become brown.Instead, she offers a wholly unique analysis of Latinos and Asian Americans own distinctive experiences—those that aren't typically White nor Black. Though living alongside Whites and Blacks certainly frames some of their own identities and interpretations of race, O'Brien keenly observes that these groups struggles with discrimination, their perceived isolation from members of other races, and even how they define racial justice, are all significant realities that inform their daily lives and, importantly, influence their opportunities for advancement in society.A refreshing and lively approach to understanding race and ethnicity in the twenty-first century, The Racial Middle gives voice to Latinos and Asian-Americans place in this country's increasingly complex racial mosaic.

The divide over race is usually framed as one over Black and White. Sociologist Eileen O'Brien is interested in that middle terrain, what sits in the ever-increasing gray area she dubbed the racial middle.The Racial Middle, tells the story of the other racial and ethnic groups in America, mainly Latinos and Asian Americans, two of the largest and fastest-growing minorities in the United States. Using dozens of in-depth interviews with people of various ethnic and generational backgrounds, Eileen O'Brien challenges the notion that, to fit into American culture, the only options available to Latinos and Asian Americans are either to become white or to become brown.Instead, she offers a wholly unique analysis of Latinos and Asian Americans own distinctive experiences—those that aren't typically White nor Black. Though living alongside Whites and Blacks certainly frames some of their own identities and interpretations of race, O'Brien keenly observes that these groups struggles with discrimination, their perceived isolation from members of other races, and even how they define racial justice, are all significant realities that inform their daily lives and, importantly, influence their opportunities for advancement in society.A refreshing and lively approach to understanding race and ethnicity in the twenty-first century, The Racial Middle gives voice to Latinos and Asian-Americans place in this country's increasingly complex racial mosaic.

For activists working for racial justice for decades, the year 2020 stood out from the rest. More people seemed to care about racism than ever before. Due to this unprecedented surge, was anything more accomplished than in prior efforts? Through interviews with uprising participants (a mix of first-time protesters and seasoned veterans; from both large cities and smaller towns), participant observation from three U.S. cities, and secondary data sources on U.S. and global 2020 protest actions, Eileen O’Brien documents what exactly was different about 2020 from a boots-on-the-ground vantage point. Participants in the uprising drew a sense of meaning being part of something larger than themselves and were able to grieve racist violence collectively during a lockdown. They also created beautiful protest art out of plywood made necessary by white supremacist counter-protesters’ destruction of local businesses. They toppled Confederate monuments and felt that sentences like Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction or the three killers of Ahmaud Arbery on federal hate crime charges were rare victories only made possible through their activism. Later, many went back to business as usual after 2020, broader societal antiracist changes proved elusive, and backlash was swift. Yet, cross-racial interest convergence occurred for a brief antiracist moment, and “the struggle itself was redemptive.”

For activists working for racial justice for decades, the year 2020 stood out from the rest. More people seemed to care about racism than ever before. Due to this unprecedented surge, was anything more accomplished than in prior efforts? Through interviews with uprising participants (a mix of first-time protesters and seasoned veterans; from both large cities and smaller towns), participant observation from three U.S. cities, and secondary data sources on U.S. and global 2020 protest actions, Eileen O’Brien documents what exactly was different about 2020 from a boots-on-the-ground vantage point. Participants in the uprising drew a sense of meaning being part of something larger than themselves and were able to grieve racist violence collectively during a lockdown. They also created beautiful protest art out of plywood made necessary by white supremacist counter-protesters’ destruction of local businesses. They toppled Confederate monuments and felt that sentences like Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction or the three killers of Ahmaud Arbery on federal hate crime charges were rare victories only made possible through their activism. Later, many went back to business as usual after 2020, broader societal antiracist changes proved elusive, and backlash was swift. Yet, cross-racial interest convergence occurred for a brief antiracist moment, and “the struggle itself was redemptive.”

The Second Edition of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender: Selected Readings offers 36 total readings featuring comprehensive, varied, and highly accessible views of the problems of racism and sexism in American society. Editors Joseph F. Healey and Eileen T. O'Brien present a variety of perspectives on some of pressing problems: racism and prejudice, inequality and discrimination, and assimilation and pluralism. This new edition includes historical perspectives, case studies of minority groups, a strong emphasis on gender, clashing perspectives on contemporary problems, and a chapter on solutions.

White Privilege: The Persistence of Racial Hierarchy in a Culture of Denial approaches the discussion of racism by focusing on majority group advantage, or white privilege. The book explores the construct of race and the definition of white privilege and then examines the ways in which white privilege manifests in economy, education, criminal justice, and especially within media and pop culture.The book balances scholarly research on racial discrimination and disparity with narratives that provide the reader with highly personal accounts of injustice. Dedicated chapters demonstrate how microaggressions emerge in unexpected places and situations, as well as how they contribute to the development and maintenance of institutional racism. Intersectionality sections throughout the book explore how class, gender, and sexual orientation shape how white privilege is experienced by individuals. Finally, the text offers a myriad of strategies and approaches to end injustice and cultivate anti-racist practices.The revised first edition features a new final chapter, which brings the text's content up to date and addresses healthcare and white privilege; #BlackLivesMatter, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and justice; implicit bias and systemic racism; white terrorism; COVID-19 and economic sexism; and anti-Asian violence.White Privilege is an ideal supplementary resource for courses on race, diversity, and social inequality.