Majority of genocides, terrorist attacks, and acts of discrimination stem from the need of one thing, power. Nationalism can be seen as a form of identity, and identity as a form of power. My paper will discuss a reflection based on a few readings that present the connection between the idea of race and nationalism. The readings I reflect upon reveal important issues within nationalism and how ‘race’ has been socially constructed to empower the dominant culture. Most violent acts are intended to save ‘identity’ or to obtain power for the Nation State. The dominant culture builds this identity to create a sense of belonging, and by doing so ‘race’ has been used to separate people by creating a superiority complex. By creating divisions in society, ‘race’ plays a large role in violence through discrimination, nation-building tactics, and identity construction. Our perceptions of most terrorist attacks or genocides are often perceived from media or books that contain a narrow or bias perspective. The readings I based this paper on portray multiple perspectives, stories, and concepts that help us to understand the discourse of whiteness, the concept of otherness, and the power of influence nationalists have over the ideologies we create about people and ‘race’.
