racialization

[ rey-shuh-lahy-zey-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act or instance of viewing and interacting with people from a racist perspective, or of being viewed and interacted with in this way:

   The assumption that terrorist acts are perpetrated mainly by Islamists is part of the racialization of Muslim and Arab-looking people.

2. the act or process of causing an institution, system, area of activity, etc., to be influenced or controlled by a racist perspective:

   Housing reform is another area that needs targeting, including measures to eliminate the racialization of lending practices.

Word History and Origins

Origin of racialization¹

First recorded in 1915–20; racial ( def ) + -ization ( def )

Example Sentences

Over the past few centuries this process of misrepresentation of biology was, and still is, used to deny women rights and to justify legal and societal misogyny and inequity, to justify slavery, racialization, racism and to enforce multiple forms of discrimination and bias.

From Scientific American

Our survey found significant evidence of the racialization of anti-abortion politics on the American right: More than a third of Trump voters embrace white supremacist values.

From Salon

The survey found significant evidence of the racialization of anti-abortion politics on the American right, via the mainstreaming of white supremacy.

From Salon

This month, he criticized Gigi B. Sohn, Mr. Biden’s nominee to the Federal Communications Commission, for playing into “this weird racialization of American political rhetoric in the last few years.”

From New York Times

Optimus could thus be interpreted as a representation for both oppressive labor structures and the racialization and subsequent devaluation of different kinds of labor.

From Slate