SOCI 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Harold Troper, American Jews, White Privilege
3 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SOCI 227 – Jews in North America
The Setting: Canada and the US – Jan 24th
Readings: Harold Troper & Weinfeld, Koffman & Weinfeld
How Canada and the US treat Jewish Immigrants
Canada more Jewish than those in the U.S
• Lower rates of mixed marriage
• Higher ties to Israel
• Higher rates of Jewish identity
• Higher knowledge of Jewish language
• More observance of Jewish religious traditions
Why is this – there are multiple explanations
1. A difference in the host society and immigration history
Canadian Jews are one generation closer to the old country – they have a more recent
immigration
• U.S. 14% are foreign born; Canada is 22.6%
• There are lots of children who are born in Canada but raised in an immigrant household
– i.e. parents are 1st level immigrants
• This 23% really has a multiplier to it – its more than this
2. Two contexts? The Canadian mosaic/multiculturalism vs. the American melting pot
Similarities:
• Political and Regulatory similarities
o In the US. – policy and environment promotes assimilation
o Both are liberal democracies, have free elections, and are democratic
o Both are in the new world with no entrenched political or ethnic rulers
o Both have an independent judiciary, the rule of law, free press, and civil and
human rights – i.e. constitutions that protect minorities
• Some similarities – diversity is similar
o i.e. strolling down the streets of Toronto
o There are vibrant communities, neighborhoods, and
• Similarity of broad racial exclusion
o Racism and discrimination
o White privilege
o Slavery – black minorities in both countries but the numbers and experiences are
VERY different
o Existed apart from obvious cases – i.e. aboriginal and US slavery
o (1) Distinction between earlier EU migrants and later non-whites: they are both
racialized
▪ But now earlier EU migrants are largely accepted and equal in terms of
socioeconomic status
find more resources at oneclass.com
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▪ Most of the hite iigrats didt happe oeright
▪ It took two or three generations for upward mobility – but now all of
these immigrants are equal
o (2) How American Jews became white?
▪ Somehow American Jews became mobile and were able to shed their
label of being Jewish and only be known as white by others, i.e.
decreasing racialization and anti-Semitism
▪ Its ee a slo proess
▪ The 1960s – a gradual and greater acceptance of Jewish space in both
countries
o (3) New forms of racism, are more covert and less overt
▪ Racism is no longer as overt as it used to be
▪ Its sutler, iro-aggressions, systemic racism, etc.
▪ Exists in cultural expressions and debates
• We have stereotypes in arts and culture, and cultural appropriation issues – BOTH
o Also micro-aggressions: subtle forms of racism that are often not intentional but
reflect these embedded racist views
▪ Found in both countries
• Issues of reasonable accommodation in the public domain - BOTH
o These are due to key provisions such as equality of opportunity, freedom of
religion and association
o Both are solved by Court decisions
o For Jews – anti-Semitism has not been as significant as in the old world
▪ Also new forms of Anti-Semitism in both, i.e. related to issues of Israel
and Zionism
• Both have programs to help minorities
o U.S. – affirmative action
o Canada – has employment equity
o BUT, Programs are much more developed in the U.S. because of the history of
legal segregation, etc. – its more entrenched so we need more vigorous legal
procedures
• 3 Key Paradigms/Conflicts About Diversity – in both
o (1) Colonial vs. indigenous people
▪ b=Both were colonized and subsidized the indigenous people
o (2) migration paradigm – settled by waves of new comers
▪ In the American case, some of the newcomers have been slaves
▪ They are looked at as immigrants to society
▪ We dot hae this i EU – any of these paradigms
o (3) racialization paradigm – i.e. Jews have become white
▪ White vs. nonwhite in both societies
▪ Overlap in these – i.e. indigenous who are not white
o One interesting difference Canada has a 4th paradigm: a national language
conflict, the French-English paradigm which has led to separation threats
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The setting: canada and the us jan 24th. Readings: harold troper & weinfeld, koffman & weinfeld. How canada and the us treat jewish immigrants. Canada more jewish than those in the u. s: lower rates of mixed marriage, higher ties to israel, higher rates of jewish identity, higher knowledge of jewish language, more observance of jewish religious traditions. Why is this there are multiple explanations: a difference in the host society and immigration history. The canadian mosaic/multiculturalism vs. the american melting pot. Differences: history, us slavery of the blacks, then the civil war, then jim crow laws, civil rights. Movements, martin luther king this all shapes a central theme of inclusion: the sa(cid:373)e stor(cid:455) a(cid:374)d (cid:374)arrati(cid:448)e all the (cid:449)a(cid:455) through (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h (cid:449)e do(cid:374)(cid:859)t have in. Idea that people coming to the new world have all of these new ideas, and. Immigration: canada there are now 3 streams: (1) points, (2) family, (3) refugees.
