If white Americans were to start a group to ameliorate the conditions of working-class whites, without a doubt charges of racism would be leveled against them. Unfortunately, the dehumanization of white people has support across the political spectrum. Suggesting that all races apart from whites can have interests is to rob them of agency, thus relegating them to a subhuman state.
White nationalism is characterized as a vice by leading commentators. No one interested in retaining the respect of mainstream outlets defends the logic of white identity politics. Blacks and Hispanics may organize political groups to pursue a racial agenda, yet we frown on whites who make a case for similar organizations. It is argued that nonwhite institutions were created to protect the civil rights of other races from a racist political structure. However, accepting this premise does not vitiate the argument for white identity groups. People form racial groups for reasons other than protecting civil rights. As tribal creatures we express a desire to associate with similar individuals. Numerous immigrants have achieved widespread success due to the networking advantages generated by groups dedicated to advancing the status of racial minorities.
Similarly, white people—like Blacks, Hispanics, and the Chinese—also have goals that can only be pursued by racial organizations. For too long, white nationalism has been construed as a synonym for racism, though this is patently untrue. White people are entitled to create institutions preserving the legacy of Western civilization. It is preposterous to acknowledge the rights of other races to celebrate their culture but chastise whites for doing so. On its website, for example, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New York openly declared that it exists to serve the goals of the Chinese-American community: “The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) was founded in 1883 to serve and protect the interests of the Chinese people in the New York metropolitan area.” The list of its functions is quite revealing:
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