Super Short Summary

White by Law by Ian Haney López explores how the American legal system constructed race, demonstrating that race is a social construct rather than a biological fact. Through analysis of racial prerequisite cases from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the book illustrates how law shaped notions of whiteness and non-whiteness, influencing citizenship and perpetuating racial hierarchies. Replete with historical legal contexts, Haney López urges critical examination of whiteness and its societal implications for achieving racial equality. The book includes discussions on physical features, legal segregation, and anti-miscegenation laws.