Identity capitalists : the powerful insiders who exploit diversity to maintain inequality / Nancy Leong.

Includes bibliographies and index.

Getting used : an introduction -- Fake diversity -- All-American exploitation -- Anxiety and absolution -- Identity entrepreneurs -- Unequal protection -- The law of identity capitalism -- Boycott -- Conclusion : we, identity capitalists.

"When accused of racism, why do people so often reference their non-white friends? Why do large companies prominently display photos of women and non-white people on their websites? Why do straight white male politicians go out of their way to draw attention to their diverse supporters? This is the first book to comprehensively examine how "identity capitalists", or members of powerful in-groups or institutions, derive social and economic value from out-group or minority identities. Nancy Leong argues that members of ingroups-a category that varies depending on the situation, but who are most often white, male, straight, wealthy, or all of the above-are often "identity capitalists." They derive social and economic value from the identities of outgroup members such as non-white people, women, LGBTQ people, and the poor. Identity Capitalists develops a framework for understanding identity capitalism and demonstrates that the process of deriving value from identity is common and pervasive, with roots in the American social and legal preoccupation with diversity. Drawing timely examples from pop culture, politics, and the law, Leong shows how identity capitalism occurs nearly everywhere, from schools to workplaces to entertainment. Identity capitalism often creates a dilemma for members of outgroups: do they reluctantly tolerate the way the ingroup is using their identity, or do they protest the use of their identity and risk negative repercussions from the ingroup? Leong argues that identity capitalism is overall a negative phenomenon that leads to cynicism about identity and exploitation of identity outgroups. She also considers how identity capitalism intersects with the legal system, offering examples from antidiscrimination law and beyond. The book concludes by considering both the promise and limitations of legal reform for mitigating the harms of identity capitalism, and encourages people to turn the lens of identity capitalism on their own lives"--

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