The Myth of Racial Color Blindness: Manifestations, Dynamics, and Impact

Even though minorities comprise 37% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012), an astounding 30% of Americans interact exclusively with family members, friends, and coworkers who are of their own race (Reuters, 2013). Given these statistics, it is perhaps not surprising that despite increasingly favorable views of racial integration, interracial inter actions in the United States continue to be anxiety provoking (Plant, 2004; Plant & Butz, 2006; Toosi, Babbitt, Ambady, & Sommers, 2012; Trawalter, Richeson, & Shelton, 2009). Even for the most well-intentioned individuals—those who actively make an effort to have positive cross-race contact experiences— interactions with a member of a racial or ethnic outgroup can be awkward and threatening (Blascovich, Mendes, Hunter, Lickel, & Kowai-Bell, 2001; Mendes, Blascovich, Lickel, & Hunter, 2002; Mendes & Koslov, 2013). As such, cross-race peers have more difficulty building rapport and developing relationships than same-race peers, even under optimal conditions of contact