Identity Discrimination

To cover is to downplay aspects of our identity that make us different from mainstream society. Kenji Yoshino argues that, although we live in an age where the law prohibits many forms of discrimination, people still face pressure to hide who they are.

In this excerpt from his memoir, Rodriguez provides a stirring recollection from his adolescence: the first time he experienced racism as a result of being an immigrant in America. As he says, the experience "stays with [him] like a foul odor."

In this transcript, Claude M. Steele, a prominent social scientist, discusses how individuals may react when they know they could be subject to stereotypes and how their reactions change if the threat of that stereotype is removed.