There are political, economic, and social motivations behind the process of racialization. For example, the need to maintain a surveillance industry is driven by the idea that terrorism is one of the greatest threats to Americans. This surveillance industry needs bodies to watch and monitor; therefore racializing a Muslim body as a potential terrorist becomes a necessity to keep the surveillance industry well resourced.

QUESTION: To what extent do security industries actively manufacture threats to justify their own funding and expansion? This raises questions about institutional incentive structures behind racial profiling.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 458