Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s

Racial Formation in the United States (both the 1986 and this 1994 editions) is now considered by most to be canonical text. First in print in 1986 (which only included 1960 through to 1980), this edition build on "Racial Formation" framework and is updated here by Omi and Winant to include the period encompassing 1980 to 1990. Omi and Winant argue, as does Gary Okihiro in Cane Fires, that race is the primary framework within which to understand American social relations (Omi and Winant, Racial Formation 9-13). Further, Omi and Winant suggest that we need, "to understand race as an unstable and "decentered" complex of social meanings constantly being transformed by political struggle" (Omi and Winant, Racial Formation 55). Omi and Winant include material on the historical trajectory of race, the issue of racism, and the interconnectedness of race, class, and gender. Through these inclusions, Omi and Winant suggest an alternative definition of race. Omi and Winant propose an alternative definition, "race is a concept which signifies and symbolizes social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies" (Omi and Winant, Racial Formation 55). Taking a linguistic turn and sounding like Stuart Hall, race becomes a floating signifier. In the last chapter, both Omi and Winant articulate the new developments including an examination of the April 29, 1992 Sai-i-gu Los Angeles riots. The book closes out with an examination of the Clinton administration's racial politics and policies.