Religious and Ethnic Groups Paper

Religious and Ethnic Groups Paper

Researching Reform Judaism and Asian decent I was able to learn about their hardships, contributions and beliefs.

Reform Judaism beliefs

* The Carrol (2010-2012) website defined: Reform Judaism began in the 19th century as a movement designed to bring Judaism into line with the ideas of the western European enlightenment. Reform Jews reject outright what they see as the dogmatic, outdated practices of Orthodox Jews and focus on the ethical dimensions of the faith instead of the traditional rituals, commandments and practices. Reform Jews moved the Sabbath from Saturday to Sundays, often read scriptures in the vernacular language instead of Hebrew, set aside the kosher dietary codes and the distinctive ways of dress, and often discarded circumcision as well. The guiding sensibility here is that in order for the religion to be relevant and authentic, it must be reformed and reinvigorated from time to time, which sometimes means changing the fundamental ways in which the religion is practiced. Reform Judaism is the largest form of Judaism in the United States.

* Reform Judaism contribution to American culture * * In the field of medicine alone, Jewish contributions are staggering and continue to be so. It was a Jew who created the first polio vaccine, who discovered insulin, who discovered that aspirin dealt with pain, who discovered chloral hydrate for convulsions, who discovered streptomycin, who discovered the origin and spread of infectious diseases, who invented the test for diagnosis of syphilis, who identified the first cancer virus, who discovered the cure for pellagra and added to the knowledge about yellow fever, typhoid, typhus, measles, diphtheria and influenza. (Goriss, n.d.)

Pprejudice or discrimination Judaism experience

The arrival of eastern European immigrants prompted the first significant tide of anti-Semitism in America. During the 1880s, clubs and resorts that once welcomed Jews began to exclude them. European anti-Semitism influenced a growing number of Americans to adopt various negative stereotypes of Jews as clannish, greedy, parasitic, vulgar, and physically inferior. To mitigate these sentiments, Americanized Jews developed aid societies to provide jobs and relief funds to help eastern European Jews fit into American society. In addition, American-born German Jews fought against restrictive legislation and formed philanthropic societies that funded schools, hospitals, and libraries for eastern European Jews. (Kamp, n.d.) Fueled by a Worldwide Depression and the rise of German Nazism, Jewish discrimination and anti-Semitism reached a peak during the 1930s. (Kamp, n.d.)

Learning about Judaism has helped me learn more about the culture and has given me insight. It has helped me learn more about Judaism. First off, I learned the different kinds of Judaism not know information I thought it was only one type. Reading more I also learned more about what reform Jews do and how they have contribute to this world.

Asians beliefs
Among the more traditional elements of Asian American culture, religion, spirituality, and faith have always been important to Asian American communities, as they were for many generations before them. But within the diversity of the Asian American community, so too comes diversity in our religious beliefs and practices. (Le, C.N. 2015) *

* What has been your selected group’s experience with other groups? * * It seems that whenever there are problems in American society, political or economic, there always seems to be the need for a scapegoat -- someone or a group of people who is/are singled out, unjustifiably blamed, and targeted with severe hostility. Combined with the cultural stereotype of Asian Americans as quiet, weak, and powerless, more and more Asian Americans are victimized, solely on the basis of being an Asian American. (Le, C.N. 2015)

* Asians contributions to American culture * * Asian contributions such as the construction of the Transcontinental Rail Road, and during such times of world conflict, when participating in World War II, the U.S. Air force had segregated units, one of which was entirely made up from Japanese Americans who showing their patriotism for their new country, even though Japanese Americans were forced to inhabit containment camps, became the most highly decorated American unit of World War II. (Sitterle, n.d.) *
Pprejudice or discrimination against Asians.

Ever since the first Asians arrived in America, there has been anti-Asian racism. This includes prejudice and acts of discrimination. For more than 200 years, Asian Americans have been denied equal rights, subjected to harassment and hostility, had their rights revoked and imprisoned for no justifiable reason, physically attacked, and murdered. (Le, C.N. 2015) As the section on Asian American history discussed, numerous acts of discrimination against Chinese immigrants culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. For the first and so far only time in American history, an entire ethnic group was singled out and forbidden to step foot on American soil. Although this was not the first such anti-Asian incident, it symbolizes the legacy of racism directed against our community. (Le, C.N. 2015)

Learning more about the Asian descent open my eyes to what other races go through. Being African American of course we have our history, but Asians also have their history. They seemed to have gone through a lot and had to fight for their rights.

Cconclusion In conclusion, Asian and Judaism both have history and if you learn more you know they are fighting the same battle as any other group or culture. Prejudice and discrimination experienced for Jews and Asians are similar because neither one of these groups were accepted. They differ because Asians went through more they attacked and murdered and had to overcome this hardship. My conclusion would be every culture is fighting a battle and it is to be accepted.

Resource:

Carrol, Dr. J. (2010-2012). Orthodox Jews - And Reform, Conservative & Secular Jews. Retrieved from http://www.world-religions-professor.com/orthodox-jews.html
Goriss, L. (n.d.). Jewish Contributions to Society. Retrieved from http://judaism.about.com/od/culture/a/contribution.htm
Kamp, J. (n.d.). Jewish Americans. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Jewish-Americans.html

Le, C.N. 2015. "Anti-Asian Racism & Violence" Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. <http://www.asian-nation.org/racism.shtml>

Sitterle, D. (n.d.). Asian and Asian American contributions to American Society. Retrieved from http://american-ethnic-studies.wikifoundry.com/page/Asian+and+Asian+American+contributions+to+American+Society+by+Daniel+Sitterle