Deck 11: Jewish Americans

Question 1

Who led a campaign of anti-Semitism in the United States during the 1920s?

A)The Ku Klux Klan
B)Harvard University
C)The U.S.Justice Department
D)The German American population

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The high socioeconomic position of Jewish Americans is most evident in their:

A)educational attainment.
B)family income.
C)occupational status.
D)political participation.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The bulk of the Jewish American population derives from the immigration of:

A)Sephardic Jews.
B)German Jews.
C)East European Jews.
D)Israeli Jews.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Historically, Jews were vulnerable to scapegoating because they:

A)refrained from political participation.
B)operated mobile businesses.
C)held elite corporate positions.
D)were non-Christians.

Question 5

The Eastern European Jews differed from earlier Jewish immigrants in that they were:

A)primarily from Germany.
B)from a privileged class.
C)secular and nonpracticing.
D)poorer and less educated.

Question 6

Jewish Americans are most similar to Italian Americans in which of the following ways?

A)Rates of upward social mobility
B)Evolution of political and cultural beliefs
C)Modes of entrance and settlement patterns
D)History of occupational roles

Question 7

The earliest Jewish immigrants to the United States were:

A)Sephardic Jews.
B)German Jews.
C)East European Jews.
D)Israeli Jews.

Question 8

The largest Jewish American population resides in:

A)Los Angeles.
B)Boston.
C)Seattle.
D)New York.

Question 9

A typical Jewish businessman in the early 20th century would be most likely to:

A)run a small self-owned business.
B)work for a large corporation.
C)live in rural areas with a significant need.
D)establish ties with other like-minded immigrants.

Question 10

Authors such as Gans and Gambino argue that Italian family loyalty:

A)was the key to their success as it gave them social support.
B)restricted success insofar as it inhibited individualism.
C)diminished significantly from first to second generation immigrants.
D)contributed to Italian unemployment.

Question 11

With regard to economic power in American society, Jews:

A)have historically been overrepresented in the corporate elite.
B)are entering top positions in the corporate world.
C)control most U.S.banks and investment firms.
D)continue to be excluded from the corporate elite.

Question 12

Which of the following is a characteristic of the Jewish American population today?

A)Their rates of intermarriage are rising.
B)Their population is declining.
C)Their birth rates are rising.
D)Their population is increasing.

Question 13

Department stores such as Macy's and Bloomingdales are evidence of the:

A)upward mobility of some early German Jews.
B)accumulated wealth of the Sephardic Jews.
C)professional roles of East European Jews.
D)congregation of most Jews in urban areas.

Question 14

Which statement best describes Jewish representation in politics?

A)Jews are less involved in government affairs than Italians.
B)Jews have yet to be elected as members of Congress.
C)Jews experience few impediments to elective office at any level of government.
D)Jews play an insignificant role in financing election campaigns.

Question 15

Values promoted within an ethnic group that shape whether a member of that group is successful can lead to:

A)cultural determinism.
B)achievement syndrome.
C)social attribution bias.
D)collectivistic ethic.

Question 16

Jewish Americans make up about __________ of the U.S.population.

A)2 percent
B)12 percent
C)25 percent
D)32 percent

Question 17

The differences in the patterns of mobility between Jews and Italians reveal the:

A)compatibility between the skills Jews brought and the needs of the American economy.
B)compatibility between the skills Italians brought and the needs of the American economy.
C)tendency for Jews to gravitate towards the family business rather than professional occupations.
D)tendency for Italians to gravitate towards the family business rather than professional occupations.

Question 18

One important factor in accounting for the determination of immigrant Jews to succeed in American society was their understanding that they would:

A)not return to their homeland.
B)bring the rest of their family over at some point.
C)rise higher in the socioeconomic ladder.
D)protect their children from persecution.

Question 19

Gans argues that _____________ account for more than ethnic culture in explaining the social mobility and success of ethnic groups.

A)religious culture
B)educational attainment
C)class factors
D)political power

Question 20

Almost ___________ of Jewish families are above the national median income of $50,000.However, a recent survey found that __________ of Jewish households in New York City are living in poverty.

A)40 percent; 10 percent
B)50 percent; 12 percent
C)60 percent; 15 percent
D)70 percent; 20 percent

Question 21

Until the 1960s, intermarriage among Jewish Americans was:

A)lower than for other white ethnic groups.
B)higher than for other white ethnic groups.
C)equal to other white ethnic groups.
D)largely non-existent.

Question 22

Jewish residential areas are unlike black ghettos in that they:

A)exist in small numbers.
B)are geographically dispersed.
C)develop exclusively because of discrimination.
D)evolve partly because of in-group choice.

Question 23

According to opportunity structure theorists, which factor is most important for explaining upward mobility?

A)Ethnic
B)Religious
C)Class
D)Familial

Question 24

Anti-Semitism among Americans has been shown to be inversely related to:

A)education levels.
B)income categories.
C)occupational status.
D)political participation.

Question 25

The number of Jewish Americans is expected to decline as a result of:

A)an unusually low birth rate among Jewish women.
B)fewer Jewish families immigrating to the U.S.
C)a higher death rate among first generation Jews.
D)many Jews returning to their country of origin.

Question 26

What is the most significant indicator of cultural assimilation among Jewish Americans?

A)Intermarriage with other white ethnic groups
B)Gradual movement away from the Orthodox branch of Judaism
C)Residential integration in large urban centres
D)High rates of upward social mobility

Question 27

___________ no longer play a major role in determining residential patterns among Jewish Americans.

A)Ethnic institutions
B)Housing markets
C)Age categories
D)Income levels

Question 28

__________ in cities with large Jewish populations.

A)Jewish wealth diminishes
B)Jewish residential desegregation still exists
C)Jewish residential concentration still exists
D)Jewish integration is evident

Question 29

The growing tendency for Americans to claim no religious affiliation suggests a trend towards:

A)integration.
B)secularism.
C)socialism.
D)assimilation.

Question 30

___________ is the most frequently cited cultural value in explaining Jewish upward mobility.

A)Education
B)Hard work
C)Frugality
D)Religiosity

Question 31

The assertion that "Jews choose money over people" is an example of:

A)racism.
B)anti-essentialism.
C)classism.
D)anti-Semitism.

Question 32

Since the end of the 1960s, the level of anti-Semitism in the United States has:

A)increased.
B)declined.
C)stabilized.
D)fluctuated in both directions.

Question 33

Approximately _______ of people born into Jewish families after 1980 say they have no religion.

A)one-eighth
B)one-fourth
C)one-third
D)one-half

Question 34

Jewish Americans have traditionally exhibited ___________ in the realm of primary relations.

A)strong in-group cohesion
B)strong out-group integration
C)weak in-group cohesion
D)weak out-group integration

Question 35

__________ became the basis of many anti-Jewish beliefs and actions that started in the 1900s.

A)The Dearborn Dependent Advisor
B)How the Other Half Lives
C)Jews in the Mind of America
D)Protocols of the Elders of Zion