What does it mean to be Jewish in America?

May 15, 2021 | by Julian L. Mertz | No comments

May 15, 2021

Weekly Roundup

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Jewish Americans in 2020

What does it mean to be Jewish in America? Our new survey finds that many Jewish Americans participate, at least occasionally, both in some traditional religious practices and in some Jewish cultural activities. Among young Jewish adults, however, two sharply divergent expressions of Jewishness appear to be gaining ground – one involving religion deeply enmeshed in every aspect of life, and the other involving little or no religion at all. There is also evidence that the U.S. Jewish population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.

Lawmaker mentions of Asian Americans on social media increased starting in 2020 and rose dramatically in March 2021

How U.S. lawmakers have discussed Asian Americans on social media

Members of Congress are increasingly mentioning Asian Americans on Facebook and Twitter, according to a new analysis of more than five years of their social media activity. Democratic lawmakers have produced the vast majority of these posts. Since early 2020, a majority of lawmaker posts about Asian Americans have expressed concern about violence, racism, xenophobia, discrimination or lack of Asian representation.

Black and Hispanic adults feel more connected to roots than White adults

Black and Hispanic Americans see their origins as central to who they are, less so for White adults

Most Americans say they are very familiar with their roots, but the strength of their attachment to them varies by race and Hispanic origin, according to a survey conducted to explore themes of self-identity ahead of last year’s U.S. decennial census. Overall, six-in-ten U.S. adults said they are very familiar with their origins. But not quite half (46%) said they feel a strong connection to their family's cultural roots. And only a third said their origin is central to their identity.

Black Americans say coronavirus has hit hard financially, but impact varies by education level, age

More than a year after the coronavirus outbreak began, the financial impact on Black Americans has varied, with the college educated and those who are older faring slightly better than those with lower levels of education and younger adults. Overall, 34% of Black Americans say their personal financial situation is either in excellent or good shape, compared with 53% of U.S. adults overall. But while 49% of Black adults with a college degree say this, the share falls to 30% among those with some college experience or less.

Immigration was a top focus of early Biden coverage, especially among outlets with right-leaning audiences

Immigration was one of the five topics most covered by 25 major news outlets in the first 60 days of the Biden administration, accounting for 11% of all stories. But the amount of attention paid to Biden’s handling of immigration issues varied significantly across media outlets.

Key facts about Americans and guns

From our research

53%

The share of Jewish Americans who say they personally feel less safe than they did five years ago.

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