Jewface! The History of Racist Jewish Stereotypes

Jewface!

Introduction

Jewface refers to the creation and propagation of racist Jewish stereotypes and caricatures. After being forced from their homeland in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago, Jews became a nomadic people who eventually spread throughout Europe. As outsiders they were often viewed with suspicion by the locals and many myths were created about them. Jewish people have been stereotyped throughout the centuries and have often been used as scapegoats for a multitude of societal problems.

Racist Jewish Stereotypes

Jews have been stereotyped as greedy, nit-picky, misers and they have often been depicted counting money or collecting gold and jewels. Anti-Semitism flourished for centuries and reached a climax in Nazi Germany during World War II with the Holocaust, when Hitler tried to exterminate all of the Jews in Europe. Though anti-Semitism is less overt now in polite society than it has been in the past, the underlying stereotypes and attitudes about what it means to be Jewish are still quite prevalent. The following are some common stereotypes:

Jewish Mother

The Jewish mother stereotype generally involves a nagging, overprotective, manipulative, controlling, smothering, and overbearing mother or wife, one who persists in interfering in her children's lives long after they have become adults. This opinionated, pushy matriarch keeps a meticulously tidy home and insists that anyone who enters her home is undernourished and needs to consume more food than is humanly possible. The life of a Jewish mother consists of endless caretaking and boundless self-sacrifice by a mother who demonstrates her love by constant overfeeding and unremitting solicitude about every aspect of her children's and her husband's welfare.

The Moneylender/Moneychanger

During the Middle Ages, Christians were not allowed to lend money because the Church believed that collecting interest from loaned money was a sin. At the same time Jews were not allowed to do many of the jobs that Christians did. Since the Jews were able to collect interest from the Christians, many became money lenders and tax collectors. The money-changer stereotype originated in the days when Jews converted the coins of the Roman Empire into the currency accepted by the Jerusalem Temple. Because of their involvement with money and banking, Jews got the reputation of being greedy and it was said that Jews would do anything for money, which led to the idea that Jews have no loyalty to any group other than their own.

Jewish Princess

The Jewish-American Princess stereotype is materialistic and selfish, and comes from a pampered or wealthy background. JAPs enjoy lives of privilege and are often neurotic. The Jewish Princess is bossy, spoiled, whiny, inconsiderate, self-centered, and only minimally interested in sex. In recent years the label has been adopted by some Jewish females who take pride in being a living personification of the stereotype.

Self-hating Jew

Self-hating Jew is a term used to describe a Jewish person who holds anti-Semitic beliefs or engages in anti-Semitic actions. The term is a bit of a misnomer because the self-hating Jew doesn't hate himself as much as he hates other Jews who are not like him. The concept originated during the mid-nineteenth century feuding between Orthodox Jews and Reform Jews where each side accused the other of betraying Jewish identity. It is most often used today in attempts to silence Jews from criticizing the actions of Israel.

Nice Jewish Boy

A "nice Jewish boy" is a mensch, roughly defined as a good person or nice guy. He is intellectual, nerdy, socially awkward, physically weak and slightly neurotic. He is very attached to his stereotypical Jewish mother and never outgrows the need for her support and approval. Nice Jewish boys are usually high-earning professionals like dentists, doctors, veterinarians, psychologists, lawyers, or stockbrokers.

Nice Jewish Girl

The "nice Jewish girl" embodies an old-fashioned sense of domesticity and traditionalism. She is a kind, curvy family girl who loves Judaism, her family, and homemaking. She has frizzy hair, a prominent nose, and a nasal way of talking. Well-educated but not intellectually superior, she smiles sweetly and dishes out the kugel to her beaming grandparents while she awaits fulfillment of the American Dream of marrying a nice Jewish boy and moving to a house in the suburbs.

Jewish Stereotypes in Film and TV