American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate (Violence Prevention and Policy)

Product Description

This second edition of the acclaimed American Swastika provides an up-to-date perspective on the white power movement in America. The book takes readers through hidden enclaves of hate, exploring how white supremacy movements thrive nationwide and how we can work to prevent future violence. Filled with powerful case studies, interviews, and first-person accounts, the book explains the differences between various hate groups, then shows how white supremacy groups cultivate their membership through Aryan homes, parties, rituals, music festivals, and online propaganda.Featuring updated statistics and examples throughout, the second edition of American Swastika describes most of today’s active white power groups and the legacy of recently disbanded groups. It also discusses new players in the world of white power websites and music and shares new research on how people exit hate groups.As recent events have made clear that the idea of a “post–racial America” is a myth, American Swastika is essential reading for understanding both how hate builds and how we can work to prevent violence.

Review

If you want to understand the white power movement in the United States, you must read American Swastika. Pete Simi and Robert Futrell draw on their own observations and interviews as well as the work of previous researchers to produce a compelling, well-researched, and comprehensive examination of white power activism. They skillfully tackle the difficult issue of explaining why this movement has persisted in one form or another for so long. — Betty A. Dobratz, Iowa State University; coauthor of White Power, White Pride

This book is an eye-opener in several ways, revealing the everyday lives of an important element in the United States that has power beyond their numbers. Pete Simi and Robert Futrell’s data describe real people with real concerns that are too often dismissed as the lunatic fringe. — James F. Short Jr., Washington State University

American Swastika is one of the best researched accounts of Aryan groups yet. This book is hands down the most effective for communicating information to students about how Aryan groups understand their beliefs, behaviors, and organizations. It is indispensable. — Lisa L. Garoutte, Loras College

Review

Even with the historic victory of Barack Obama, the legacy of white supremacy in America is alive and well. This book lays bare the specific groups and particular practices that sustain the extreme forms of the legacy. Don’t miss it! — Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary

About the Author

Pete Simi is associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research focuses on the social psychological dimensions of interpersonal and collective violence and he is currently studying individuals who leave violent extremism and what types of interventions most effectively facilitate disengagement and deradicalization. Robert Futrell is professor of sociology and chair at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has published widely on social movements, including the white power movement, as well as on issues of technology, environment, and sustainability in the West.