We all think in racist terms. This has nothing to do with extremism. Rather, it is a consequence of political and social structures that shape the way we think and act. Where majority and minority societies clash, racist thought patterns and structures almost inevitably form - unless you consciously counteract them. This is not the case in Germany. The accusation of racism is dismissed. People would rather be outraged than engage in a serious debate and solve real problems.
Journalist and political scientist Gilda Sahebi analyses the specifics of German racism. To do this, she looks back to the German Empire and traces the common threads of racist thinking that run from then to the debates of our present day. She shows how we are constantly perpetuating racist and divisive narratives, teaching ourselves racism again and again - and thus jeopardising democracy.
"Sahebi deals so skilfully with the dynamics of the racism debate here that she debunks its often toxic logic." & "a haunting, constantly confrontational, but at the same time sober and above all complex book" - Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Till Schmidt
"Anyone who reads Sahebi's work will look at the German migration debate through a new perspective. [...] The result is an impressive and meticulously researched analysis. Absolutely recommendable." - Frankfurter Rundschau, Soreina Donatsch
