Description
Book SynopsisFocusing on the contemporary immigration debate, the war on terrorism, media portrayals of Middle Easterners, and the processes of creating racial stereotypes, in this book the author argues that, despite its many successes, the modern civil rights movement has not done enough to protect the liberties of Middle Eastern Americans.
Trade ReviewThis book is a compelling study of one of the critical issues of our time: the debate regarding issues of assimilation, immigration, and national identity. . .a well-written and extremely readable book suited to general readers as well as faculty and researchers. * CHOICE *
Whitewashed is an indispensible contribution to the effort to make visible the struggles of Middle Eastern community in the U.S. Activists and educators alike will benefit enormously from Tehranian's thorough research and highly accessible, often entertaining prose. -- Loren D. Lybarger * Journal of American Ethnic History *
A learned, witty, and analytically biting analysis of race politics and race jurisprudence. A brilliant case that race is understood through performance and is hostage to the politics of fear. Tehranians legal and intellectual thriller is hard to put down. -- James C. Scott,Sterling Professor of Political Science and Anthropology, Yale University
A refreshing analysis and accessible account of the contradictory classification of Middle Eastern Americans as whites in the early 1900s and as non-whites a century later. -- Mehdi Bozorgmehr,co-author of Backlash 9/11: Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans Respond
Tehranian has written a compelling account of discrimination against those of Middle Eastern descent. His book is an important addition to the literature on race in America and could not be more timely. -- Erwin Chemerinsky,Founding Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine, School of Law
He provides an important contribution to the dynamic study of the legal and political status of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. * The Law and Politics Book Review *
Tehranian’s book covers fresh legal and social territory . . . consistently informative and casts off the cloak of invisibility. * Publishers Weekly *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: The Price of the Ticket 1 Constructing Caucasians: A Brief History of Whiteness 2 Performing Whiteness: Law, Dramaturgy, and the Paradox of Middle Eastern Racial Classification 3 From Friendly Foreigner to Enemy Race: Selective Racialization, Covering, and the Negotiation of Middle Eastern American Identity 4 The Last Minstrel Show? Middle Easterners in Media 5 Threat Level Orange: The War on Terrorism and the Assault on Middle Eastern Civil Rights 6 Lifting the Veil: Thinking about Reform Conclusion Notes Index About the Author
