The End of Racism: Principles for a Multiracial Society

by Dinesh D'Souza

Book Overview

The End of Racism by Dinesh D'Souza is a comprehensive inquiry into the history, nature and meaning of racism.D'Souza's work examines how there is little agreement about what racism is, where it comes... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0029081025
• ISBN13: 9780029081020
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 724 Pages
• Weight: 2.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A Conservative Who's In A Class By Himself

No matter what anyone may feel about D'Souza's hypotheses, his conclusions, or his politics, you will not be able to escape the fact that he is an outstanding writer, and that the "End of Racism" will remain his signature work. Unlike other conservatives whose attacks are personal and shrill, this author organizes his arguments superbly, and presents them without passion. He is not afraid to discuss topics that most people fear would brand them as racist, and he does it without being inflammatory. The book is well researched. There are footnotes upon footnotes for each chapter. It is easy to see that this writer and frequent talk show guest is highly intelligent, as well as conservative. I break with D'Souza completely with his suggestion that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 be repealed. We have already seen the rise of the 21st Century robber barrons who were unleashed by deregulation. It would be unfair to allow racism to be unleased by repealing civil rights laws. Nevertheless, D'Souza's "End of Racism" occupies a place on my bookshelf. I highly recommend it for yours.

Searingly, brutally honest and clear-minded,

This is probably the most important and courageous book on race and racism in America written in the 1990s. It flies in the face of the comfortable shibboleths and easy answers that we've all heard so often in the last 30 years.D'Souza genuinely believes in the cause of racial equality and harmony. But he refuses to flinch from looking at reality as it is--not just from the black perspective or the white liberal perspective, but from the average white person's perspective, and from the perspective of minorities who are neither black nor white--like D'Souza himself. In other words, he strives for a HUMAN perspective that transcends race.It's powerful and controversial. D'Souza doesn't flinch from criticizing problems in black culture. Nor does he have much good to say about the policies that have been pursued to fix racial problems over the last 30 years.Not everyone will agree with everything in this book. The book has genuinely infuriated some who strongly believe in things like Affirmative Action or the idea that white racism is at the root of most of the problems in black America. D'Souza sees some truth there but mostly rejects them as a primary cause for any of today's problems. The troubles lie deeper, he says, and in areas that people of all races are genuinely afraid to even discuss.Anyone who genuinely cares about race and race relations needs to read this book--whether they agree with D'Souza's conclusions or not.

Even if you LOVE afimrative action, you should read this

Even if you don't agree with his views, the author certianly provokes thought and debate. For that reason, I think any teacher who wishes to get his or her class talking (in an andvanced high school social studies class or in college)should require this book. People who criticize this book have thus far ignored the main point of it, I believe: that unequal outcomes do NOT equal racism. As a half Latin, half African-American myself, I can tell you with certainty that African-Americans and Latinos do not, in general spend as much time studying as do Christian whites, who in turn do not study as much as Jews or Asian-Americans. Is it surprising then that there are less Black doctors or engineering students, or that American-born Latinos do not score as well on the SAT as Chinese-born immigrant students? The answer for too long has been not to "level the playing field", but to put weights on the feet of the better athletes. Sure, some are born with advantages, but does hobbling all who perform above average to bring up those who didn't practice make it a fair game? And the overwhelming majority of very poor Blacks and Latinos never benefit from affirmative action; only people like myself born of the middle class. Look at UC admissions since they stopped using race as a factor: Black and Latin enrollment are way down at UC Berkeley and UCLA, but down only slightly system-wide. It seems Blacks and Latins are going to slightly less selective schools, but are still getting a good education. If we tell kids that you have to study hard to get ahead, but then reward Jamahl or Jose by letting them into Stanford when there Asian or white friends may have studied harder, what does that say?Living in San Francisco, a city where the local school district puts a CEILING on the number of Chinese Americans who can enter top public high schools because they DO TOO WELL, I can tell you that affirmative action can go to far. Why should a Chinese American, who suffers from racism just like his Black or Latino brethren, and scores better than the majority of Latinos and Blacks admitted to certain schools, be denied admission to those same schools? Because there are too many Asians. Many of the Chinese-born kids score BETTER on ENGLISH tests than Blacks and Latinos (and even some whites) BORN in this country. What does that say? Not that the Chinese are genetically superior or anything, just that they study, study, study. That is plain ridiculous. If I am flying in a jet plane, or getting surgery, or having a case tried in court, I am going to want the best engineer designing my plane, the best doctor cutting me open, and the best lawyer arguing my case. Changing the definition of "best" until a certain number of each ethnic group is in each field is not very comforting. The only problem I have with this book is the Author's tendency to be almost TOO extreme in some cases. His defense of Taxi drivers exhibiting

thorough, balanced, but most of all, MISREPRESENTED

"Not since Gunnar Myrdal's 'An American Dilemma'" has any book looked so searchingly at the nature of race in America. This was a statement by Thomas Sowell regarding his review of The End of Racism. Regardless if you agreed or disagreed with D'Souza's conclusions, you can't objectively deny Sowell's assessment. Unfortunatly, those who find his logic and conclusions unpalatable have systematically reverted to misrepresenting his arguments rather than facing them squarely. I guess it is easier to knock down imaginary arguments rather than real ones. Some common misrepresentations include: 1. D'Souza questions whether slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination etc bear "any" responsibility for the state of Black America. Reality: D'Souza is very clear in saying that these factors are the VERY REASON that blacks are in their state today. These influences, according to D'Souza, gave blacks a unique experience in America through which a culture of resistance wa! s eventually fostered. It is this vestigial cultural orientation, D'Souza argues, which today most impedes black progress in a society that is quite different from the 19th and early 20th century. 2. D'Souza doesn't care about white racism, he only wants to abolish white guilt. Reality: D'Souza ultimately concludes that while racism is a problem, it is a minor problem. Shocking as this is to many, it is no less true. Civil rights activists committed to struggles of yesteryear have every incentive to beat the drum of "white racism" past the point of diminshing returns - particulary when they are dependent on such activities in order to maintain notoriety and to continue living such plush lifestyles. As for white guilt, D'Souza would probably have no problem with whites feeling as guilty as they want so long as that guilt has little role in policymaking. It is white guilt which has driven racial policy in America for the past 40 years and the black underclass is in ! worse condition than EVER. 3. D'Souza doesn't believe th! at racism exists anymore - just "rational discrimination" - which, as Ellis Cose said, is "to put not to fine a point on it, discrimination against people who ought to be discriminated against." Reality: D'Souza's argument here is not that complex. He clearly conceeds to the immorality of such behavior - especially as to its demoralizing and hurtful effect on law abiding black males who have PhD's and not a spot on their criminal record. Yet the act of discrimination (such as a taxicab not picking up black men) is occouring precicely because the taxicab driver, or store owner, or little-old lady, etc. does not have any information on that person. Taxicab drivers have had many blacks beat the fare or leave no tip (moreso than whites) or have had other drivers regail them with stories of the blacks that held them at gunpoint (again, at a higher rate than whites). Korean store owners have had similar experiences - including having to sit on the roof of their ! store with a rifle to ward