Jewish Americans

I.Pop:1990, 5.5 million+1.3 mil with some ancestry (from mixed marriages). Aprox 1.4 million in NYC (1994) and over ½ million in LA and SE Florida

II. Three major waves of Jewish Immigrants

A.1st: arrive 1654 from Spain, Portugal; seek refuge after expelled from Eur

B.2nd:mid-1800s Germany; grows to 200,000 from 2500 at independence

C.3rd:1880-1952, @3 million; nearly ¼ Jews in E.Eur leave pogroms etc

III.Anti-Semitism rampant in 1920s and 1930s and early 1940s

D.Johnson-Reid Act (1924):quotas keep large number of Jews out of U.S.

E.Protocols of the Elders of Zion:fake document showing Jewish conspiracy to conquer world governments through communism & banks

i.Henry Ford:publish, Dearborn Independent anti-Semitic 1920s

F.Overt: Jews attacked openly and viciously and millions support

G.Discrimination peaks during this period, then declines:

i.Harbinger 1877:financier Seligman denied entry to Grand Hotel

ii.Univ Quotas 1922:Harvard president Lowell cuts enroll of Jews 21% to 10%; Columbia 40% to 10% to solve “Jewish Problem”

iii.Faculty exclusion 1920s-40s: 2% of fac; 1960 9%, 20% elite col

H.Negative image of Jews peaks during this period, then declines:

i.Power: 1938, 41% say Jews too much; peaks 1945, 58%, ’62-11%

ii.Banks: mid-60s, 30% say control international banking; 14% 1975

iii.Media: mid-60s, 47% say control TV/movie industry; 18% 1975.

I. Surveys measure Decline in Anti-Semitism since 1940s

         i.Jobs: Jewish make difference if you hiring: 1940, 43%; 1962, 6%

ii.Neighbor: if next door, makes difference: 1940, 25%; 1962, 3%

iii.Colleges:should limit the number admit:1935, 26%; 1962, 4%

iv.Presidential candidate: say vote for Jew: 1937, 46%; 1969, 86%

v.Honesty:@½in 1938-39 say Jewish businesspeople less honest

IV.Correlates of Anti-Semitism:According to Glock: (1) SES:lower educ, income, blue-collar; (2) conservative Protestants: (doctrinal differences may contribute:no path to salvation except Christ subjects nonbelievers to damnation), (3) race: black and white anti-Semitic stereotypes about the same,although blacks less supportive of discrimination

V. Assimilation

A.Cultural: US phenomenon—move from Orthodox to Conservative and Reform

B.Structural:(1) Residential:@1900 ½ live in NYC, today <20%;Jew’s neigh borhoods mainly in cities w/ large Jewish pop, (2) Income:1989, median household @ $10,000 higher than avg. (3) Occup:56% prof/manag vs. 30% white males; 1995 7.6% corp elite,’92 10% Senate (2.3% pop) (4) Educ ‘92: 53% coll deg vs. 21% US

1.Why—enclave/cult capital: before coming, Jews urban people in commerce/ manufac gives advantage. By late 1800s, only 16 % blue-collar workers or farmers. 

A. small businesses coop, hire Jews; concentrate clothes, jewelry, meat, and leather

2. Einstein Syndrome (restricted to“Jewish Jobs”)?:brainwork—data, legal, accounting, sales—not execs in oil, auto, banks; 1973—not one in 176 senior executives for 15 largest commercial banks, yet 12-15% living grads of Harvard Business School.

C.Primary:1990, all Jewish friends--45% religious Jews, 12 % of secular Jews

D.Exogamy:1940(New Haven)6%;US 1980s—55%(1/3 child mixed raised Jew)

back to class notes index