Bush declares May Jewish heritage month
Latest from the JTA:
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President Bush proclaimed May as Jewish heritage month.
“As a nation of immigrants, the United States is better and stronger because Jewish people from all over the world have chosen to become American citizens,” Bush said in his proclamation Friday.
“Since arriving in 1654, Jewish Americans have achieved great success, strengthened our country and helped shape our way of life. Through their deep commitment to faith, family and community, Jewish Americans remind us of a basic belief that guided the founding of this nation: That there is an Almighty who watches over the affairs of men and values every life.”
I couldn’t agree more that Jews are fabulous, but OH H*LL NO! This declaration makes me nauseous–and oh how strategic it is.
The timing of it around the national immigration debate, the ploy of using Israel to garner support for bombing Iran, the erasure of the fact that May is ALREADY Asian American Heritage Month or the fact that this country historically has had horrible immigration laws around Jews (and Asians for that matter which is no surprise he’s not trying to link immigration to Asian-Americans) up until post-WWII just about makes my head explode.
Oh yes, the hands are raised shaking to the sky with indignation!
[Update]: Now what we need is Jewish organizations and leaders that can stand in coalition with Asian-American organizations and speak back to Bush’s strategic attempt to use Jews, particularly Ashkenazi Jews in this way and link the struggles of these communities more cohesively, that there is overlap in identities, and that there are many Jewish immigrant communities that are struggling today. Yes.
crossposted to jspot
Cole,
remember, this is the same administration that made May Day “patriot’s day” or some other such nonsense. I’m not saying don’t shake your fists with rage, mind you, because i’m doing it too; just don’t be surprised.
Yay for us. Or is it not yay for us…
While Jews comprise a separate ethnic group–or, to put it in plain words, a group–many might see this as special recognition of a particular religious group. There is black history month. I think that maybe there should be some sort of recognition of all immigrants and minorities i.e. italian, irish, german, asian, south pacific, etc. Kind of challenges the idea that this is a White Protestant country. But this here reenforces the idea that Bush shows favoritism toward Jews and it reeks of a cheap political tool for Republicans to gain Jewish voters.
I actually like my idea about celebrating the various immigrant groups, especially after catching the Godfather I and II on AMC this weekend. I love those fucking movies. How about some recognition of us non-Protestant swarthy people wearing those cool skully caps? I can’t stand the continued heralding of the idea of a Protestant nation, with us Zionist Jews as the Protestants’ special little friends. While Christian Zionists are almost a different breed, albeit a dangerous one, we had to move up in society in spite of the Protestant-imposed hierarchy that kept us down.
Isn’t Asian American Heritage Month in April? Cause when I googled it, that’s the month it came up as.
Bush’s strategic attempt to use Jews, particularly Ashkenazi Jews in this way: um, huh?
Nope May–Look here and here
BTW i hear you ruby k–definitely not surprised, but still angry man…still angry
I like your idea about coalescing with Asian Americans. I read a great article on the similarities btwn. Jews and Asians as “model minorities” who get pitted against other groups. There are definitely similarities between our two groups. We have to work together for social change…