American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate. Second edition.

By Pete Simi & Robert Futrell
Call Number: E 184 .A1 S599 2015
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This book is one of few empirical research studies of the white power movement in the United States. It is based on interviews and fieldwork carried out over two decades, from 1994-2014. The authors have carefully situated their study in our contemporary social context, and rewritten extensive sections for the second edition.

To begin with, they clearly define “the white power movement” to encompass various manifestations of belief that “the white race” is genetically superior to all other humans (p. 3). A great value of this book lies in its examination of social dynamics that have allowed these ideas to survive in the face of mainstream condemnation and scientific debunking: economic factors, niche music scenes, online forums, and personal networks including church groups.

This book is included in all major bibliographies of domestic terrorism prevention, and is relevant to our programs in public safety, homeland security, and sociology. It is important reading for anyone concerned about how hate groups maintain a presence in our society.