{"id":54655,"date":"2021-11-16T12:46:17","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T16:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=54655"},"modified":"2021-11-21T13:11:12","modified_gmt":"2021-11-21T17:11:12","slug":"nationalism-and-racism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/nationalism-and-racism\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fine Line Between Nationalism and Racism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the difference between nationalism and racism? In what ways are the two concepts linked? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his book Imagined Communities, <\/em>Benedict Anderson claims that nationalism and racism are two completely different concepts, although they are often discussed together. However, since the book was written, some critics claim that nationalism and racism are inherently connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between nationalism and racism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Nationalism vs. Racism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anderson concludes by arguing that nationalism and racism\u2014while often viewed as related and even complementary ideologies\u2014are actually highly divergent phenomena. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the nationalist framework, conflict and competition are between <\/em>nations. This is the basis for history\u2019s most famous nationalist rivalries, conflicts between largely monolithic, unified political communities\u2014India vs. Pakistan, France vs Germany, China vs. Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, Anderson argues, racism is primarily concerned with <\/strong>internal <\/em><\/strong>racial purity. <\/strong>Thus, the biggest threat to the racist is not foreign aggression on the part of another nation, but instead, contamination or impurity from the enemy within<\/em>. Racism tends to act as a catalyst not for foreign military adventure, but for domestic <\/em>repression, discrimination, disenfranchisement, and segregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anderson notes that the incompatibility between racism and nationalism can be seen in how racial propagandists downgrade and discount <\/strong>national <\/em><\/strong>identity in favor of <\/strong>racial <\/em><\/strong>identity<\/strong>. He notes that racial slurs like \u201cgook,\u201d \u201cslant,\u201d or \u201cslope\u201d exist specifically to deny the very existence of nationhood among East Asian peoples. These terms instead compress Vietnamese, Cambodians, Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans into an indistinguishable mass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some writers contest Anderson\u2019s assertion that racism and nationalism are inherently different ideologies. In fact, some have argued that nationalism is inherently <\/em>racist and by definition cannot be separated from racism<\/a>. The experience of colonialism, according to this argument, shows the fundamentally racist character of nationalism. 

For example, even the most high-born Indian subjects under the British Empire could learn the English language, convert to the Anglican religion, and loyally serve the Crown, but they would never be considered fully \u201cBritish\u201d by the imperial authorities and would never be able to have the same opportunities of career advancement<\/a> in London\u2014no matter their qualifications. According to this view, being non-white barred one from full membership in the national community and exposed nationalism as a pseudo-intellectual veil for racial tribalism.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the difference between nationalism and racism? In what ways are the two concepts linked? In his book Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson claims that nationalism and racism are two completely different concepts, although they are often discussed together. However, since the book was written, some critics claim that nationalism and racism are inherently connected. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between nationalism and racism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":54676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[275,24],"tags":[536],"class_list":["post-54655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","category-society","tag-imagined-communities","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Fine Line Between Nationalism and Racism - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are nationalism and racism inherently linked, or are they completely different ideologies? Benedict Anderson believes the latter. 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