Reports of Stereotype’s Death Are Premature
Contrary to what Lenore Skenazy wrote in her March 4 column “Were JAP Jokes a Justification for Intermarriage?” the JAP stereotype is hardly a thing of the past.
In fact, JAP jokes are alive and well among today’s young people. Look no further than “University of Michigan Pursuit of Jappiness,” a parody video of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” that Jewish Michigan students posted on YouTube in February. The video has drawn nearly 300,000 hits less than a month after its launch.
When I was in college less than two years ago, people regularly referred to Jewish sorority girls as JAPs. Maybe Skenazy’s kids haven’t heard the stereotype because they’re too young. I learned about the stereotype in eighth grade at a Jewish day school, and have been hearing the term ever since.
I should note, though, that in my generation both men and women are liable to be called JAPs, with Jewish men sometimes referred to as “Jewish American Princes.” At least we’re somewhat egalitarian about it.
Ben Sales
New York, N.Y.
The writer is editor of the national Jewish student magazine New Voices.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
