In this passage, Wilkerson explains the complex relationship between racism and casteism. She implies that because U.S. society is so polarized and so structured around dominance, power, and wealth, casteism affects all aspects of life in the U.S. And because the caste system in the U.S. is based on race, acts that uphold caste inevitably uphold racism as well. Someone might not actively believe that Black people are inferior to white people—but that doesn’t mean they don’t participate in a structure that was built entirely around that racist belief.