Understanding White Americans' Perceptions of Racism in Hurricane Katrina-Related Events

The present research used a longitudinal design to examine perceptions of racism in Katrina-related events among a sample of White American college students returning to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The results suggest that the meritocracy beliefs prevalent in White American culture led participants to conceptualize racism primarily in terms of individual racial prejudices rather than in terms of institutional practices that harm ethnic minorities. Furthermore, this individualistic conception of racism reduced the amount of racism that participants perceived in Katrina-related events. Finally, reduced perceptions of racism in Katrina-related events affected participants' feelings about their American identity—perceiving low levels of racism in Katrina-related events increased participants' private regard for Americans.