Jews are perceived as white

Although Jews of color amass the majority of the world’s Jewish population, Jews are still perceived to be white. Ashkenazi Jews, or light-skinned Jews with European descent, have used their white privilege to define Jewish culture to be perceived as white. These light-skinned Jewish demographics predominantly exist in developed and influential regions such as America, Europe, and Israel. As a result, the stereotypical white “Western” Jew only reinforces the perceived white narrative for the rest of the world’s Jews to emulate. ^[1] Even from the beginning of U.S. legislation, Jews were legally considered as white. Jews had the right to gain US citizenship under the Naturalization Act of 1790, which deemed them among the “free white persons.” ^[2] As American society progressed and race relations formed, Jews were still considered white. Seemingly white Jews did not face color-based discrimination from slavery, the Jim Crow Era, segregation, or criminal profiling. ^[2] Even in modern society, the perceived whiteness of Jews gave them a leg up in society compared to people of color. Jewish individuals also live with white privilege, the covert societal benefits of being white. ^[2] Jewish people have been included in the white demographic since the earliest days of America. They have been continually perceived as white, regardless of their religious practices.