Final answer:
The idea of race emerged as an economic tool for justifying slavery and the exploitation of Africans for colonial profit, which became deeply rooted in American society. Other justifications for racism include functionalism, where racial inequality is deemed beneficial for the dominant group, and symbolic interactionism which focuses on how racist views are formed through group interactions and media representations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of race developed alongside colonial economic systems that used racial identity to justify and enforce unequal power dynamics. The Anderson Hypothesis elaborates on this by explaining that when internal superiority and a distorted history are ascribed to a group by those in power, without relying on scientific knowledge or historical fact, racism becomes persistent. In the United States, Africans were identified and commodified as property to generate wealth for white colonists. This economic incentive deeply embedded racism in American institutions and culture.
Another justification for racism is provided by functionalism, where Nash (1964) argued that racism serves the dominant group by morally validating a racially unequal society. Additionally, symbolic interactionism, highlighted by Interactionist Herbert Blumer, suggests that the perpetuation of racist views often arises from the interactions and preconceptions held by members of the dominant group, fueled by media representations and lack of personal interactions with people from the subordinate group.
Over time, the entrenchment of racism in society has been maintained by separating groups and using language that promotes racial stereotypes. Consequently, racism has been systematically embedded in America's social structures, including social justice, education, religion, and economic systems, often hidden behind the guise of individual merit or 'bootstrap' rhetoric.