ABSTRACT
We begin with general observations about the racialized nature of states that derive from the history of settlement, wars and conquests, guiding state ideologies, colonialism, and resource exploitation by founding populations. Our analysis of the racialized state develops from a rejection of the facile dichotomy that states as wholes are either democratic or authoritarian and that on top of the usual dimensions of open versus closed political participation is layered a racial dimension. We argue that many states define “exceptions” to democracy and civil liberties that apply to groups and communities viewed as threatening. Moving beyond the US example to analyze general patterns, we discuss racial and ethnic relations in China to identify several dimensions on which states vary on their inclusion, protection, and responsiveness to minority citizens. The goal is to assess and contextualize the indirect forms of minority group control and oppression. Based on Oliver’s elaboration of criminalization as social control, we discuss the current American and Chinese contexts in terms of the complexity of legal protections and their segmental attenuation, contrasting advances in some dimensions with apparent setbacks in others. We close the discussion with an integrating narrative about the studies that make up the collection: empirical chapters on the Black Lives movement, Latino youth mobilizations, Arab-American collective action, and the opposition from white nationalism and its organizations.
