What do Asian Americans and Jewish Americans have in common?
They are both small minorities (Asians: 6% of US population; Jews: 2.4% of US population).
Both attach great importance to education. According to the Census Bureau, 58% of Asians age 25 and older had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2019, significantly higher than for even non-Hispanic whites. A 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that 59% of Americans Jews had a bachelor's degree, behind only Hindus and Unitarian Universalists.
Both groups enjoy high earning power. The Census Bureau calculates that in 2019, the median income of Asians with full time work was $77K, versus $70K for non-Hispanic whites, $47K for blacks and $42K for Hispanics. The same 2014 Pew survey found that 44% of Jewish households had an income of $100K or higher, greater than any other religious group.
Neither Asian Americans nor Jewish Americans fit neatly into the critical race theory. Consequently, Asian Americans have been sometimes labeled "white adjacent" and as "benefitting from white privilege", while Jews, one of the most persecuted minorities in history, are accused by some of having "gained unmerited success and power by attaining whiteness."
While the recent attacks on Asian Americans have been blamed on white supremacy, the racial composition of the attackers suggests otherwise. Similarly, the mainstream media ignores the fact that the escalation of anti-Semitic attacks had preceeded the heightened Israeli-Palestinian conflict of recent months.
I am cognizant of the complexity of the many forces at work behind the recent surge of hate crimes, but I have a hard time believing the fact that the two targeted communities are highly successful and viewed in some quarters as proxies to white supremacists is simply a coincidence.
We need to ask uncomfortable questions if we are to deal with the problem.