Aversive racism is a term that indicates a hidden form of racism and discrimination. This type of racism appears subconsciously in people who pretend to be tolerant. This term appeared first in 1986, following a field survey by two American researchers. Later, this term was published in US, and the focus on this type of subconscious intolerance increased when an article about it was published in the widely circulated New York Times by Nicholas Kristof on October 4th, 2008.
Americans became interested in this term because it truly reflects their wish to get rid of all types of racism whose hidden roots still exist, and it is a type of racism that did not politically affect the description of racial tolerance US became known for. The main evidence is when Barak Obama (a US citizen of African origin) won the 44th President of US for two consecutive terms (from 2009 to 2017). He received 52.9 percent of the votes in the first term and 50.6 percent in the second term.
Meanwhile, open racism is on the rise in Europe, led by Britain, as its people became irritated when a British, not an immigrant, of Asian origin (Rishi Sunak) took over as Prime Minister on October 25, 2022, replacing Liz Truss as head of the Conservative Party. Although Sunak ruled for two years and called for early elections, it did not serve him well with the British voters, who are clouded with extremism and racism. Most of these voters are not happy with a leader of Asian descent or other minorities.
The collective punishment against the Conservative Party was because the party allowed "an Asian” to become the Prime Minister. The Conservative Party suffered a historic loss (131 seats out of 650), while Labor secured 409 seats. The UK election reflects the racism that is latent in Northern Europe, which contributes much to their isolation in terms of leadership in the global arena. The biggest success the United States has made globally is its commitment to equality and the rule of law.
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