Asad Haider, Scholar Who Prioritized Class Over Identity Politics, Dies at 38

Asad Haider, a political theorist and author whose 2018 book criticized identity politics from a far-left perspective, died on Dec. 4 in Toronto. He was 38. His death was caused by injuries from a fall from an apartment building, his twin brother, Shuja Haider, said. Police investigators had ruled out foul play.

Mr. Haider was an assistant professor of politics at York University and the co-founder of Viewpoint Magazine, which set out to "reinvent Marxism for our time." He also wrote for publications including Salon, The Baffler and n+1. In Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump (2018), Mr.

Haider argued that focusing on racial and gender identity obscured a deeper injustice: economic inequality. He did not minimize racism or sexism but said the left needed radical change — the end of capitalism — rather than incremental recognition within existing institutions. He described identity politics as "not a politics that wants to change the social structure; it’s a politics which is about individual recognition." The book found an audience among young socialist activists, was widely debated on the left and was a popular reading among Democratic Socialists of America chapters.

The book drew a range of responses abroad and at home: it was reviewed favorably in publications such as The New Statesman and The Guardian, while Jacobin offered a critical appraisal. Mr. Haider was born on June 2, 1987, in State College, Pa., to parents who had immigrated from Pakistan.

Key Topics

Politics, Asad Haider, Mistaken Identity, Viewpoint Magazine, York University, Identity Politics