How about we save the word “racist” for people who regard people of other races as inferior? Jewish parents want their kids to marry Jews because that’s how the culture preserves its heritage. It has nothing to do with being “better” than someone else; it’s about being ourselves.

I imagine the same is true in other cultures. The Indian caste system seems to me ridiculous in a modern world, at least to the extent that rank is implicit in it. But the word “classist” is available for such silliness; “racism” is busy keeping black folks from being gassed or lynched.

Sadly, the people who most need “racist” to have real bite come on Medium and routinely dumb it down to describe every failure of etiquette or even unwitting enjoyment of privilege. It’s a tragedy of the commons, as the overuse of the word deprives it of its force. I don’t know if the damage can be undone, the bell unrung. Still, if people would use the word only to describe others who actually think ill of them, they might get more mileage out of it.