George Lipsitz

Disempowered minorities should form alliances across racial and ethnic lines, argues George Lipsitz in the following viewpoint. When people of color try to overcome oppression, the gains that they make too often occur at the expense of other minorities. He points out that those in power typically prefer to have minorities fighting each other because interethnic disunity helps elites maintain their dominance. Racial minorities and other oppressed people must join forces if they wish to create a more just society, the author concludes. Lipsitz is a professor of ethnic studies at the University of California in San Diego. He is also the author of The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Lipsitz, in what ways do those in power lead various minority...