ATLANTIC: "Are Jews White?"
12/08/2016
A+
|
a-
Print Friendly and PDF
From The Atlantic:
Are Jews White?

Trump’s election has reopened questions that have long seemed settled in America—including the acceptability of open discrimination against minority groups.

EMMA GREEN DEC 5, 2016

When Stephen Bannon called his website, Breitbart, the “platform for the alt-right” this summer, he was referring to a movement that promotes white nationalism and argues that the strength of the United States is tied to its ethnic European roots. Its members mostly stick to trolling online, but much of what they do isn’t original or new: Their taunts often involve vicious anti-Semitism. They make it clear that Jews are not included in their vision of a perfect, white, ethno-state.

On the opposite side of American politics, many progressive groups are preparing to mount a rebellion against Donald Trump. They see solidarity among racial minorities as their goal, and largely blame Trump’s election on racism and white supremacy. Three-quarters of American Jews voted against Trump, and many support this progressive vision. Some members of these groups, though, have singled out particular Jews for their collusion with oppressive power—criticisms which range from inflammatory condemnations of Israel to full-on conspiracies about global Jewish media and banking cabals.

Of course …
Jews were often excluded from taking certain jobs, joining certain clubs
And later from The Atlantic:
Jews and the Social Construction of Race

Emma Green

9:17 AM / December 6, 2016

“Race” is a historically contingent and subjective category that is used to justify violence against minority groups. I specifically wrote about American Jews because their experiences—which are incredibly diverse and varied—show the hypocrisies and limits of these racial categories. Looking at the historical experiences of this one particular group, and the present-day tensions its faces, is a means of critiquing the way “whiteness” is used to delineate who is and isn’t considered powerful and valuable in society.

Use of the word “whiteness,” when used unironically, correlates with hostility toward whites.
Asking, “Are Jews white?,” is a way of questioning the lack of racial awareness among some American Jews. It’s meant to highlight all of the things that challenge the notion that Jews are un-complicatedly white—including the experiences of Jews of color.
[Comment at Unz.com]
Print Friendly and PDF