Like reynardine I generally take issue with the term "white" as well. While my skin is a light color and my great grandparents came from Europe, being Jewish really does still leave you as something as an outsider. I mean I'm from the NY but when I was a kid we had an old car that we were slow to get rid of and left in our backyard. (It was not viewable from the street) My parents live in a well off neighborhood, across the street and a few houses down was another Jewish couple and up the block a few houses were two African-American families, so it wasn't a segregated area. However, someone(s) still snuck into our yard and drew swastikas on the old dead car back there.
I would say in general Jews in the US are more accepted overall and antisemitism is frowned upon, but it is still alive and well. Though it is nothing compared to Europe. My husband wears a yarmulke all the time and I would worry about our safety in most countries in Europe doing this. I don't feel that way in the US.
I do think in general people here are more open about talking about racism and I would argue most people don't want to be called one and take pains not to be, while a song in a musical, "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" really does ring true here in NY.
As for what people give up, it's a touchy subject. I know my in-laws thought I ought to follow the caveat "When in Rome" and not follow my "strange" Jewish traditions when with them. However, I am also acutely aware of the language losses between generations. My great grandparents all knew Yiddish and so did my grandparents. My dad and mom understood some but couldn't speak it. I and my siblings know a few scattered words more than the general public, but that's it.
no subject
I would say in general Jews in the US are more accepted overall and antisemitism is frowned upon, but it is still alive and well. Though it is nothing compared to Europe. My husband wears a yarmulke all the time and I would worry about our safety in most countries in Europe doing this. I don't feel that way in the US.
I do think in general people here are more open about talking about racism and I would argue most people don't want to be called one and take pains not to be, while a song in a musical, "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" really does ring true here in NY.
As for what people give up, it's a touchy subject. I know my in-laws thought I ought to follow the caveat "When in Rome" and not follow my "strange" Jewish traditions when with them. However, I am also acutely aware of the language losses between generations. My great grandparents all knew Yiddish and so did my grandparents. My dad and mom understood some but couldn't speak it. I and my siblings know a few scattered words more than the general public, but that's it.