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Black white binary DA Focus on the black-white binary excludes analysis of racism that affects otheroppressed populations. Omission of this analysis is a reason to reject theirscholarship.Perea !""#—Professor of Law at the University of Florida [Juan F. Perea, "The Black/White Binary Paradigm of Race The"!ormal cience" of #merican Racial Thought," $ct. %, &''(, JT$R)

Paradigm* of race *ha+e our under*tanding of race and our definition of racial +rolem*. Themo*t +er-a*i-e and +oerful +aradigm of race in the nited tate* i* the Black/White inary+aradigm. 0 define thi* +aradigm a* the conce+tion that race in #merica con*i*t*, either e1clu*i-ely or +rimarily, of only tocon*tituent racial grou+*, the Black and the White. 2any * cholar* of race re+roduce thi* +aradigm hen they

 rite and act a* though only the Black and the White race* matter for +ur+o*e* of di*cu**ing race and *ocial+olicy ith regard to race. The mere recognition that "other +eo+le of color" e1i*t, ithout care3 fulattention to their -oice*, their hi*torie*, and their real +re*ence, i* merely a rea**ertion of theBlack/White +aradigm. 0f one concei-e* of race and raci*m a* +rimarily of concern only toBlack* and White*, and under*tand* "other +eo+le of color" only through *ome unclear anal3ogy to the "real" race*, thi* 4u*t re*tate* the inary +aradigm  ith a *light conce**ion to demogra+hic*. 2ya**ertion i* that our *hared under*tanding of race and raci*m i* e**entially limited to thi* Black/White inary+aradigm.5( Thi* +aradigm define*, ut al*o limit*, the *et of +rolem* that may e recogni6ed in

racial di*cour*e. 7uhn8* notion of "normal *cience," hich further articulate* the +aradigm and *eek* to *ol-e the +rolem*

+ercei-ale ecau*e of the +aradigm, al*o a++lie* to "normal re*earch" on race. 9i-en the Black/White +aradigm, e ould e1+ect tofind that much re*earch on race i* concerned ith under*tanding the dynamic* of the Black and White race* and attem+ting to *ol-ethe +rolem* eteen Black* and White*. Within the +aradigm, the rele-ant material fact* are fact* aout Black* and White*. 0n

addition, the +aradigm dictate* that all other racial identitie* and grou+* in the nited tate* are e*t under*tood through the Black/White inary +aradigm. $nly a fe riter* e-en recogni6e that they u*e aBlack/White +aradigm a* the frame of reference through hich to under*tand racial relation*.5: 2o*t riter* *im+lya**ume the im+ortance and correctne** of the +aradigm, and lea-e the reader gra*+ing for

 hate-er *ignificance de*cri+tion* of the Black/White relation*hi+ ha-e for other +eo+le ofcolor. #* 0 *hall di*cu**, ecau*e the Black/White inary +aradigm i* *o idely acce+ted, otherraciali6ed grou+* like ;atino*/a*, #*ian #merican*, and !ati-e #merican* are often marginal3i6ed or ignored altogether. #* 7uhn rite*, "tho*e that ill not fit the o1 are often not *een at all ."5'

$he exclusion of %atinos Asian Americans and &ati'e Americans in theBlack()hite paradi*m plays into white dominationBowman !- prof of law +, /D from DukeThe !e Face of chool =e*egregation,?htt+//.la.duke.edu/*hell/cite.+l@%A=uke;.J.&(%&C

 White +ri-ilege i* reinforced hen racial and ethnic grou+* are conce+tuali6ed not a* White, #frican #merican, ;atino, #*ian #merican, !ati-e #merican, etc., ut in*tead a* White or !on3 White. #cknoledgement of difference* among grou+* di*a++ear* in a White3!on3White+aradigm, ecau*e in*tead of alloing racial or ethnic grou+* to identify them*el-e* y hatthey are,5D: all !on 3 [E+g &(:() White grou+* are e1+licitly identified y hat they are not, and only

 y reference to hitene**. #lthough a*+ect* of a *+ecific !on3White grou+ might e ea*ier to identify than "White culture,"thi* occur* ecau*e White culture i* main*tream culture. The culture of a *+ecific !on3White grou+ a++ear*di*tincti-e ecau*e it de-iate* from the norm. Profe**or 2artha 2ahoney note* that a term *uch a* "raciallyidentifiale" in the conte1t of hou*ing and uran de-elo+ment generally refer* "to location* that are racially identifialy lack."5D'

The *ame i* true in the conte1t of education r acially identifiale mean* racially identifialy !on3White. The White3!on3White +aradigm reinforce* the +oer dynamic of the acted and the acted u+on, of +re*ence and a*ence, of the defining

and the defined. The +oer that White* recei-e from their unearned +ri-ilege in the White3!on3 White duality "i* , in fact, +ermi**ion to e*ca+e [the deate of race) or to dominate."5A Whenfederal court* reinforce thi* dynamic in the name of *chool de*egregation, they +er+etuate the normali6ed,main*tream +ractice* and in*titution* that reinforce racial ineGuality . 0t i* often the*e +ractice* and in*titution* thatare mo*t damaging in term* of +er+etuating o++re**ion ecau*e they are not u*ually Gue*tioned. They are conce+tuali6ed a* 4u*t

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normal.5& 0n contem+orary *chool de*egregation 4uri*+rudence, White* are normali6ed, and all !on3White* arecolla+*ed into the category of "other." ;ike #frican #merican*, ;atino* ha-e een the -ictim* of *tate3*anctionededucational *egregationH55 ut if court* ga-e attention to the +re*ent difference* eteen #frican #merican* and ;atino*, court*8remedial order* ould likely e *tructured differently. #* ill e di*cu**ed elo, the recognition of ;atino* and #frican #merican*a* di*tinct grou+* that continue to *uffer different harm* i* ea*ily ithin reach.