This was an important book to me because it made the point that racism is a function of class, not the other way 'round. In the United States, the dominant race has a class system whereby the lowest members can feel better about themselves because however bad they have it, at least they're in the hierarchy... unlike those immediately-recognizable people who aren't. From the Russians I know, what's important isn't so much how much money you make, but the fact that you aren't Asian-looking. I know a Muscovite who has utter contempt for everybody not from Moscow and she's the palest girl I've ever met. I know a girl from Samarkand who has utter contempt for Muscovites... but her dad is a fighter pilot from Kiev and her mom is Uzbek. She grew up a white-trash half-breed out in the sticks while my Muscovite friend has a VK feed full of models.
Then what's the difference between those who do and those who don't?"Seems like we like our Africans hungry and corrupt."