Outside/Inside/Between Sides: An Investigation of Ashkenazi Jewish Perceptions on Their "Race" |
| |
| Abstract: | This study investigated perceptions of differing generations of Ashkenazi Jewish Americans regarding the concept of their "race," and also their understanding of their "White privilege." In labeling their race, participants constructed an overall spectrum of terms, some reflecting a chosen ethnoracial identity and some reflecting a given ethnoracial assignment. The majority of participants found it extremely difficult to position themselves on the racial binary as currently constructed in the United States in which White is located on one side and "persons of color" on the other. Most participants expressed the belief that Ashkenazim have White privilege vis-á-vis persons of color. This privilege, however, is limited to Jews who can "pass" as White gentiles. To most participants, the categories Jew and Judaism not only confound the U.S. racial binary but also expose the fact that race as a concept is a social construction (often arbitrary) reflecting historical, social, economic, and cultural contexts. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
