The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class by David R. Roediger

In The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class, historian David R. Roediger offers a groundbreaking analysis of how racial identity and class consciousness developed together in the 19th-century United States. Drawing from labor history, critical race theory, and cultural studies, Roediger argues that white workers derived not only economic but also psychological “wages” from their whiteness—privileges and a sense of superiority that divided them from Black workers and undermined class solidarity.

Through detailed historical research, he reveals how everyday attitudes, political rhetoric, and popular culture reinforced racial divisions, shaping both the labor movement and American identity. Roediger’s work shows how racism weakened collective action by turning workers against one another, a lesson that remains vital today. Understanding this history helps illuminate the ongoing challenge of building a labor movement grounded in shared struggle rather than racial hierarchy. Essential reading for anyone interested in labor, race relations, or the social construction of whiteness.