Haven't we made progress on racism in this country in the last 30 or 40 years? Some people say we've done enough; it's time to give up thinking in terms of race because that's what's keeping racial divisions alive now.

The argument that racism is over is reminiscent of the notion put forth in recent years that the end of the Cold War has brought us to a period of international stability that represents the "end of history." Or that economic prosperity over the last decade or so reflects the end of the ups and downs of the business cycle. But history continues with its conflicts and wars, and the business cycle does not seem to be exhausted yet. The notion that racism is over in this country is also wishful thinking.

However, there do seem to have been some changes in the form and manifestation of racism over the past decades. Several observers, such as psychologist David Sears (1997), discuss a new version of racismÑsymbolic, modern, or subtle racism, it is calledÑwhich has grown in the place where the old racism used to be. Sears and others say that the old-fashioned racism of Jim Crow, which used explicit biological theories of White superiority to support legal segregation and discrimination, is indeed gone. But the negative stereotypes and negative emotions toward African Americans and other ethnic minority groups remain.

Sears' version of the new racism describes a more elusive, political, almost abstract language of race which avoids blatantly negative racist statements in favor of political codewords and symbols. This new racism is partly based on a view of racial discrimination as being outdated and puts the onus of achievement and equality on African Americans and other ethnic minority people. If African Americans would, for example, stop clamoring for special treatment and simply work harder, they could achieve the American Dream. The idea is that it is African Americans' own deficienciesÑwhether they be greed, laziness, violence, and so onÑthat are the cause of their problems, not the history of slavery, segregation, discrimination, prejudice, and racism which is assumed to have come to an end.

The new racism is thought to be most visible in White persons' views on affirmative action, crime, drugs, welfare, teenage pregnancy, and unemployment. Conversations on these topics often are dominated by an unspoken subtext of racial attitudes. Consistent with the theory of illusory correlation, it is often assumed (despite statistics to the contrary) that the majority of persons involved in such activities are ethnic minorities. Consequently, unspoken racial attitudes shape our definition of such problems and their resolutions. The Willie Horton commercials from George Bush's presidential campaign are an example of the symbolic racist code used to advance political positions. This new racism also integrates racial prejudice and core traditional American values. For example, the values of hard work and moral behavior are thought to be violated by stereotypes of African Americans, Latinos, and American Indians as lazy and violent.

In short, the theory of the new racism holds that some blatant forms of racism have declined in recent decades, and the label "racist" has become something that most individuals want to avoid. However, even while trying to avoid the label of being "racist," individuals continue to hold deep, underlying negative stereotypes and feelings toward African Americans and other ethnic minorities. These more hidden stereotypes are symbolized in coded political views that seem to uphold respectable values, but continue to support institutionalized forms of racism.