Jewish people hail from various ethnic backgrounds including Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal, Mizrahi Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, and others like Ethiopian Jews and Indian Jews. This diversity means that not all Jews can be categorized under one racial label like "white."
For instance, Ethiopian Jews are Black, and Mizrahi Jews can have features more commonly associated with Middle Eastern or North African heritage rather than European.
Historically, the racial categorization of Jews has varied. In the U.S., Jews were not always considered "white."
In the early 20th century, they were sometimes seen as a separate race due to immigration waves, discrimination, and racial theories of the time.
Over time, particularly post-WWII, many Ashkenazi Jews assimilated into the category of "white" due to social, legal, and cultural shifts. However, this was not uniform across all Jewish communities or countries.
In contemporary discussions, some Jews identify as white, especially those of Ashkenazi descent in the U.S., where they've been legally and socially categorized as such. However, this identification is not universal. There's a growing recognition and discussion around Jews of color, both those who are born Jewish and those who convert. The term "Jews of color" is becoming more acknowledged to describe Jews who do not fit into the traditional "white" category, highlighting the diversity within Jewish identity.
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