In the United States, white nationalism forms one part of an originary contradiction, dialectically entwined with an aspiration toward egalitarian openness that can, but often doesn’t, include people considered to be outside the boundaries of Americanness. The resulting tension animates struggles to define national identity in the past and present and both the contradiction and struggles loom over its future. Drawing on work in multiple disciplines, the chapter traces the persistence of this structuring antinomy by highlighting instructive literary examples at particular historical moments. What is now called “white nationalism” has long been part of mainstream – not just marginal or extremist – literary and intellectual discourse; thus, consideration of white nationalism takes precedence. However, the discussion also notes the equally tenacious hopes for a society open to those who are excluded based on conceptions of race. Lastly, the chapter identifies the utopian genre as an especially useful arena showcasing the contradiction.