‘It's almost like white supremacy’: Interracial mixed-status couples facing racist nativism

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Publication Title

Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies

DOI

10.1080/01419870.2013.835058

ISSN

1466-4356

Abstract

This article expands the theoretical debate on racist nativism and the specific impact that it has on the experiences of interracial mixed-status couples in the USA. In-depth interviews suggest that the costs of racist nativist microaggressions and macroaggressions are experienced differently, depending on the social status of each member of the couple. Microaggressions target Latinos/as, while racial profiling, a macroaggression, is mainly experienced by Latino men; however, in both cases their white partners also experience rebound racism on behalf of their partners. White women partnered with Latinos experience the greatest rebound effects of racist nativism. Larger macro-policies create a precarious position for couples; this leads them to make calculated legal risks to sustain their families and ultimately constrains their freedoms.

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