Calling Hebrews Caucasian

[Gina B]

This really annoys the tar out of me. Yes, there are Caucasian Jews, but over and over during my pregnancies and the medical care of myself and children, I've had to let doctors know that there's a difference.
I remember one particular time a daughter was being tested for issues (she's Hebrew and Asian) and since those of Hebrew descent are listed as Caucasian, they went with my birth certificate and listed her as Caucasian. Since the disease is rarely seen in anyone except Jews and Asians, the doctor laughed at the idea until I explained cuz hey, her birth certificate says Caucasian.

I can't help but think there must be a political reason for this. Why on earth is this not an option on birth certificates? I find myself making myself marking "other" or making my own box.

It's not an issue of pride or anything, (although it's offensive to be labeled something you're not as if it doesn't exist) it's an issue of receiving proper medical care. There was a slight concern for Tay-Sachs with one of my pregnancies and the doctor wasn't about to check further at first because of the lower possibility until I told him "uh yeah, there IS a higher probability due to heritage."

Does anyone know how this came about and why? Was it an attempt to stop discrimination? Was it to take away our identity? Was it to pretend we just don't exist?

I don't get it.

 

[Melanie]

Golly!!!

My birth certificate does not cite race ( I was born in Malaya, and the certification is lodged somewhere in Britain I believe).....it is very impertinent I feel, how many generations does yours glean that information, why is the question asked....

 

[ktn4eg]

Kinda makes me wonder what's listed on POTUS's Birth Certificate.

Let's see....hmmm...It wouldn't be "Hawaiian" since that's not a race.

"Indonesian"? No, he wasn't born there. Besides, that's not a race either

I know it's not "Kenyan" because he already told us time after time that this is totally untrue. (I did recall that Bruce Springsteen wasn't invited to the White House to sing his classic "Born In The USA" for his 50th birthday!) :smilewinkgrin:

I guess the only one who really knows the answer to this is Donald Trump. And he's unavailable to comment. (Something about "Only His Hairdresser Knowing For Sure.") :tongue3:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Kinda makes me wonder what's listed on POTUS's Birth Certificate.

Let's see....hmmm...It wouldn't be "Hawaiian" since that's not a race.

"Indonesian"? No, he wasn't born there. Besides, that's not a race either

I know it's not "Kenyan" because he already told us time after time that this is totally untrue. (I did recall that Bruce Springsteen wasn't invited to the White House to sing his classic "Born In The USA" for his 50th birthday!) :smilewinkgrin:

I guess the only one who really knows the answer to this is Donald Trump. And he's unavailable to comment. (Something about "Only His Hairdresser Knowing For Sure.") :tongue3:

As an FYI..... I was able to review Obama's mothers side ancestry records & that family has been in this country since the 17th Century ....they owned farms in Cranford New Jersey so his family has been in America since the first load of bricks.....funny we only here about the black side!

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Arent Jews Semitic? Yes they lost some of that through integration with Europeans plus I know Black Jews from Ethiopia.....lots of Jews in the NYC Metro Area.

 

[Gwen]

Maybe Jewish people didn't want to be identified by the government specifically as Jews because of the Holocaust. And maybe the government was sensitive to that idea. My dad was born in 1936 and at that time in my state, race was not recorded. By the time I was born in 1957, race was recorded on birth certificates.

The Holocaust was so horrific that I would imagine people were very sensitive to anything that would identify Jews specifically as such. I can't imagine how awful it must have been.

I don't know, but it's just a thought.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Maybe Jewish people didn't want to be identified by the government specifically as Jews because of the Holocaust. And maybe the government was sensitive to that idea. My dad was born in 1936 and at that time in my state, race was not recorded. By the time I was born in 1957, race was recorded on birth certificates.

The Holocaust was so horrific that I would imagine people were very sensitive to anything that would identify Jews specifically as such. I can't imagine how awful it must have been.

I don't know, but it's just a thought.

It is interesting how "required information" changes. My dad worked for the Soil Conservation Service. When he first began working he said that race was required on applications. Later this was determined to be wrong in that it might prejudice some reviewing the application and it was determined that race was not required on the application or any form. Then later, a few years before he retired, the term "ethnic group" appeared on the form and thus ethnic group which meant race was again required. I suppose someday this will not be required again and then again in the further future it will be required again.

Personally I see no reason for "race", "ethnic group" or whatever to be required. People are people are people. Needs are needs are needs.

 

[Melanie]

Maybe Jewish people didn't want to be identified by the government specifically as Jews because of the Holocaust. And maybe the government was sensitive to that idea. My dad was born in 1936 and at that time in my state, race was not recorded. By the time I was born in 1957, race was recorded on birth certificates.

The Holocaust was so horrific that I would imagine people were very sensitive to anything that would identify Jews specifically as such. I can't imagine how awful it must have been.

I don't know, but it's just a thought.

I went to the funeral of one of the congregation just this week, a grand old lady who had her left arm tattooed, she was taken to Russia after the slaughter of most of her family and survived from 9-12 years in a work camp with many other Polish folk. Her faith sustained her through many years of torment and came to New Zealand and then to a new home.

This is my new home New Zealand, but many forms ask your ethnicity...I put down other and state I find it is an impertinence, if I am pushed I write in Homo Sapiens!!!

 

[Jim1999]

Caucasian has two root meanings: one, of white skin; two, a certain part of Russia. Hence, a Jew could be called caucasian, if they are white-skinned or from that special part of Russia.

Yes, many Jews hid their origin during the 30's and the 2nd world war. My wife's family (mother's side) changed their family name from Neuman (Jewish origin) to Newman, for fear of a German invasion of England. A very close possibility until after 1943.

I can imagine many in Germany or Poland doing the same out of fear of reality. I can also see many in the Southern USA changing their names out of fear of segregation. They also hanged Jews as well as Blacks in those days.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Gina B]

For those who asked why it matters if it's listed, my main concern is medical reasons. There are medical issues that are seen in some races and not in others/are very rare in others and not tested for when being medically evaluated or are overlooked in a pregnancy when a woman may need prenatal testing.


That's why it bothers me. It could negatively impact people's health care. Not everyone looks EXACTLY like what they have in them and some don't carry physical traits that are generally associated with their race, especially if they're mixed or may appear a completely different race rather than what they are. (depending on where I am and what season, I've been seen as Asian, Black, White, and Hispanic, or Native American. Kinda funny....)

Everyone can say "oh, that's dumb because we're all the human race" but in the medical field, it DOES make a difference.

 

[Jim1999]

I am colour blind when it comes to people, but I understand race and certain illnesses.

When I was working at a children's camp in Pennsylvania when race was important I was at a Black camp. I hadn't seen so many Blacks together. I sat on a lower bunk and stared at a lad on the top bunk. He soon said, "Don't worry Mr. Jim. Before the summer is out you will look just like me."

I was staring. What's is worse, he told his parents when they came to collect him. Fortunately, we all just had a jolly laugh.

Cheers,

Jim

Cheers,

Jim

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Gina, I was a Census enumerator last year so I can clear this up for you. Jews are white. I realize there are exceptions, like Ethiopian Jews, but you're not one of them.

My only advise to you is to accept the fact that you're a white woman who is also of Jewish ethnicity. There's nothing wrong with being white. Remember, even if you don't accept that you're white, it doesn't change the fact that you are. You were born white and you will always be white, and nothing you do can change that.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Gina, I was a Census enumerator last year so I can clear this up for you. Jews are white. I realize there are exceptions, like Ethiopian Jews, but you're not one of them.

My only advise to you is to accept the fact that you're a white woman who is also of Jewish ethnicity. There's nothing wrong with being white. Remember, even if you don't accept that you're white, it doesn't change the fact that you are. You were born white and you will always be white, and nothing you do can change that.

of course you can get a DNA test!

 

[Jim1999]

Paul, have you ever been to Israel? Jews are hardly all White. They have a very good "tan" even in winter!!!

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Gina B]

Gina, I was a Census enumerator last year so I can clear this up for you. Jews are white. I realize there are exceptions, like Ethiopian Jews, but you're not one of them.

My only advise to you is to accept the fact that you're a white woman who is also of Jewish ethnicity. There's nothing wrong with being white. Remember, even if you don't accept that you're white, it doesn't change the fact that you are. You were born white and you will always be white, and nothing you do can change that.

Like, WOW! That's so totally cool. Perhaps the census bureau can work hand-in-hand with the medical community to save time and effort being spent on certain medical precautions/testing for those of certain descent since it doesn't exist. :laugh:

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Paul, have you ever been to Israel? Jews are hardly all White. They have a very good "tan" even in winter!!!

Cheers,

Jim

I have never been to Israel and I have never said all Jews are pasty white. But, they are still officially white according to the U.S. Census Bureau definition of "white".

White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Like, WOW! That's so totally cool. Perhaps the census bureau can work hand-in-hand with the medical community to save time and effort being spent on certain medical precautions/testing for those of certain descent since it doesn't exist. :laugh:

Gina, I work in a multi-client call center. One of the clients is a pharmaceutical research company. I normally answer for the homeowners insurance clients, but from time to time I'll jump over to that one if there are calls in queue. Anyway, we conduct medical interviews with the subjects and determine if they qualify for a screening appointment to see if they qualify for a clinical research study. We ask for the subject's race as part of the interview. Sometimes we have studies just for specific races. Guess what we count Jews as? Caucasian.

 

[Gina B]

Gina, I work in a multi-client call center. One of the clients is a pharmaceutical research company. I normally answer for the homeowners insurance clients, but from time to time I'll jump over to that one if there are calls in queue. Anyway, we conduct medical interviews with the subjects and determine if they qualify for a screening appointment to see if they qualify for a clinical research study. We ask for the subject's race as part of the interview. Sometimes we have studies just for specific races. Guess what we count Jews as? Caucasian.

Yeah, I know that. That was the point of this thread.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Yeah, I know that. That was the point of this thread.

I hope I haven't come across as harsh; that wasn't my intent. What I'm trying to point out is that not every division of people into groups is one of race. That's a fairly high level classification. We all recognize that some genetic diseases are more common among Jews, but being ethnically Jewish doesn't rise to the level of being a race. In fact, all the Jews I've known would be highly offended by the notion that they're non-white.

 

[billwald]

Blame it on white European/American Christian theologians who interpreted the Noah myth as God's establishing three human "races," one for each of Noah's children. Naturally, the white race was superior and the black race, inferior. "Yellow" people were in the middle?