What It Is > What Is White Nationalism

What Is White Nationalism?

On this site, “white nationalism” means the belief that white people should hold the political power in a country. White nationalists believe this goal can be achieved by denying rights to non-white citizens or by creating policies that ensure there will be very few or no non-white citizens. Typically, white nationalists seek to exclude people of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Jewish descent, regardless of skin color.

Some white nationalists base this position on the idea of white supremacy: the belief that white people are racially superior. Others, such as “identitarians,” claim that different races have distinct characters and should live in separate countries. They view white people as the rightful occupants of the United States and think other people should “re-migrate” to “natural homelands” based on their race, regardless of whether they have ever lived in those countries or can speak the language. Those who remain in the US would have limited rights, citizenship, or influence.

CO•RE views “white nationalism” and “white supremacism” to be practical equivalents in America. Both advocate for the political and social exclusion or suppression of non-white people in the US on the basis of race. The term “white supremacist” carries stronger negative weight, and identitarians dispute its use. In order to avoid a divisive debate about terminology that has no practical implications, we generally use the term “white nationalist” on this site.

What It Is: Related pages