Postwar antiracist political norms were not a steady progression

Evidence

Historically, political discourse on the Others, whether minorities within the country or non-Europeans in Third World countries or colonies, has been among the most blatantly racist forms of elite discourse (Lauren, 1988). Until at least World War II, leading politicians would openly derogate people of Asian or African origin, and claim their white, Western superiority. But due to the Holocaust and World War II, and as a result of the discrediting of racist beliefs because of their use by the Nazis, postwar political discourse has become increasingly less blatant on the right, and more antiracist on the left. This development, however, should not be seen as a steady form of progress, because in the 1990s problematizing and stigmatizing discourse on refugees and immigrants has reappeared more openly, even in mainstream parties. — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1112

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to vault claims about racial formation as contested discourse — this shows political elite discourse as one arena of racialization where a key historical turning point (Holocaust delegitimizing blatant racism) reshaped the discourse genre. — connects to: A genuine norm change occurred without eliminating racial inequality or policy support — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3335
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: the 1990s return of openly stigmatizing refugee/immigrant discourse in mainstream parties — is this the same phenomenon CRT scholars date as colorblind racism’s emergence?

Broader Connections

• A genuine norm change occurred without eliminating racial inequality or policy support #corroborates (0.90) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3335