Off White

'Struggling to break free from the tenets of outdated area studies, Off White is an ambitious and timely collective endeavour showcasing a wide spectrum of historical and current perspectives on race and whiteness in Central and Eastern Europe. Using rich and detailed case studies, the authors zoom in on the complex and contradictory regional racial dynamics. This collection is an important milestone in critical race studies, as well as in the historiography of Central and Eastern Europe. A volume to be celebrated.' Madina Tlostanova, Professor of Postcolonial Feminisms, Linköping University, Sweden, author of What Does It Mean to Be Post-Soviet? 'This exciting and sophisticated collection fundamentally challenges the tendency of the study of whiteness in the United States to regard racial identity and hatred as being learned by immigrants after their arrival. It describes a varied and troubling history of whiteness prior to and then parallel to racial learning in the United States. The chapters show how deeply claims to whiteness mattered in the past of central and eastern Europe, underwriting anti-Jewish and anti-Roma policies, mixing race and class, and giving elites a way to envision belonging in Europe. Off white is a revelation and a delight on many different levels.' David Roediger teaches American studies at University of Kansas. His books include Working Toward Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became White -- .