Un/making institutional racism in daycare centers in postmigrant Berlin

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is often portrayed as a neutral and inclusive space. This article challenges that assumption by analyzing institutional racism in ECEC settings in postmigrant Berlin. Drawing on grounded theory methodology, based on 30 qualitative interviews, three group discussions, and field observations, we analyze how racialized children and families are marginalized through categorization practices, Eurocentric routines, and racializing gatekeeping logics such as the “good mix.” These dynamics intersect with adultism and are exacerbated by fragmented governance, funding frameworks, and the lack of structural anti-racist mandates. Building on the theories of Stuart Hall (Citation1989. “Rassismus als ideologischer Diskurs.” Das Argument 31 (178): 913–921) and Philomena Essed (Citation1991. Understanding Everyday Racism: An Interdisciplinary Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications), we conceptualize institutional racism (Phillips, C. [Citation2011. “Institutional Racism and Ethnic Inequalities: An Expanded Multilevel Framework.” Journal of Social Policy 40 (1): 173–192]) as embedded in knowledge production and everyday decision-making. We argue for a reconceptualization of ECEC as a contested political space and highlight the need for binding frameworks, critical professionalization, and intersectional strategies to dismantle systemic inequities.