Michael Omi and Howard Winant’s Racial Formation in the United States (there have been three editions: the first published in 1986, a second edition published in 1994, and a third published in 2015) introduces readers to the theory of racial formation. The theory of racial formation says that race is socially constructed identity. To come to this theory, the duo go over the history of race, racism, and race-related events, race-class-gender interrelationships, and everyday life in general. In 1994, it was updated to include the 1992 Presidential Election, the riots in Los Angeles, and President Bill Clinton’s policies on race. The 2015 edition was updated to includes things the 2008 Election, President Barack Obama’s policies on race, and the countries racial attitudes.
Upon release, the book was met with very positive reviews. On Amazon, it holds a very respectable rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars. On popular book review aggregation site Goodreads.com, it holds a similar rating of 4.16 out of 5 stars. Reads a review of a user written on that site: “This is the most comprehensive and accurate account of race in American politics - it is the closest thing to a "primer" on race that exists. An essential for anyone interested in issues of race.” It is used in many college classrooms but is also for consumption outside of the classroom at various websites and bookstores. It is considered a classic in the field of race and ethnicity.
