Thilo Sarrazin and the Politics of Race in the Twenty-First Century

The publication (and continued prominence) of Thilo Sarrazin's book Deutschland schafft sich ab (Germany Does Away with Itself, 2010) illustrates how debates taking place in the American context affect other arguments about race in places such as Germany. The question of race, genetics, and the use of science in such contexts is exemplified by Sarrazin's claims about the genetic inheritance of the Jews in his book and interviews. Gilman examines Sarrazin's argument, his American sources, and their resonance in contemporary German debates about race and immigration.