Black or African-American?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

GD: I understand the shorthand of shared experience. I don't understand it being an "identity" that needs to be preserved, protected, rejoiced, worshipped, or otherwise as objectively important. If you hadn't been raised the way you were (say your parents ran away from home and started a peach farm in rural Georgia) would you (and more importantly should you) still identify as East European Jew?

Honestly, that's a hard question for me to answer. I've seen both sides of the coin on that one. I guess for me, the bottom line is that I do see value in it, but I don't see it as something to get as angry about as some people do. I understand, and participate in to an extent, the desire to preserve and promote that kind of trans-generational cultural identity. But I'd never consider someone a "traitor" or disown them for "deserting" said community as some would. That's just silly.