In racialized social systems, rewards are allocated along racial lines (Bonilla-Silva 2001). U.S. airports constitute a racialized social system where bodies are organized into those worthy of protection and those who are a potential threat. Being able to fly without suspicion is a privilege. The ability to print out a boarding pass and get through security without being stopped and searched is also a privilege. Travelers who are identified as Muslim are often denied these simple rights regardless of their statuses as citizens. Power is exerted on a Muslim population when they have to take extra precautions to avoid profiling and surveillance from TSA agents. They must avoid wearing items that could set off the metal detector and overtly display signs of helpfulness and cooperation. As a result of being observed in public spaces, Muslims monitor their own behaviors and actions. They internalize the surveillance as a form of discipline.

XREF: Connects to surveillance studies and Foucauldian discipline theory, plus Bonilla-Silva's racialized social systems framework.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 244