Racialization in Public and Private: Memories of First Racial Experiences

Research suggests retention of childhood memories into adulthood requires such memories to hold a certain amount of importance.
Therefore, initial racial memories likely play a role in one’s racialization process, or formulation of an understanding of
race. This study uses data from 49 in-depth interviews with white undergraduate students on memories of their first experiences
of race. Data generally fell into the categories of private and public racialization. Private racialization included accounts
of events that took place at home, primarily consisting of racist joking, derogatory comments, and family storytelling. Public
racialization consisted of events that took place outside the home, most commonly at school. Data also revealed interactions
between private and public realms, where accommodations were made in private to control, minimize or restrict interracial
contact in public.