--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's this false notion that you have…" description: "\"There's this false notion that you have to separate and choose between issues of class and issues of race. What people do when they say that you need t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_class_there-s-this-false-notion-that-you-have_76590.jpg" --- # There's this false notion that you have to separate and… ![“There's this false notion that you have to separate and choose between issues of class and issues of race. What people do when they say that you need to separate class from race is that they are really just saying that people of color should come second.” quote by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_class_there-s-this-false-notion-that-you-have_76590.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_class_there-s-this-false-notion-that-you-have_76590.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_class_there-s-this-false-notion-that-you-have_76590.jpg) > “There's this false notion that you have to separate and choose between issues of class and issues of race. What people do when they say that you need to separate class from race is that they are really just saying that people of color should come second.” [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that framing class and race as separate issues is a tactic that marginalizes people of color, implying they are less important in policy debates. **In simple terms:** Class and race are intertwined, not separable. Key Takeaway Separating class from race masks systemic inequality. Themes intersectionality social justice political rhetoric inequality racial hierarchy Mood critical defiant urgent Type political statement social critique When to use this quote - policy discussions - activist strategy - academic debate - media analysis Key Concepts structural oppression policy framing identity politics Practical Applications - intersectional policy design - educational curricula on systemic bias Questions to Reflect On - How does separating class and race affect policy outcomes? - What evidence shows the interdependence of class and race? A Different Perspective Some argue that conflating class and race oversimplifies distinct economic and cultural challenges, though this can overlook overlapping impacts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Class Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-issues-988649/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Issues Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues-class-988650/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-people-274720/) [Race Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-really-988648/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [They say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/they-say/) ## Related quotes > [In social class issues today, our professor held up a black book and was like, 'This book is red,' and we were all like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hope/in-social-class-issues-today-our-professor-held-up-a-black-book-and/) [Amber Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hope/) > [“What was it the teacher in her Legal Issues class said the other day? 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