Jewish-American princess

Jewish-American Princess or JAP is a pejorative characterization of Jewish-American women. The term implies materialistic and selfish tendencies, attributed to a pampered background.

Antisemitism

The stereotype is often the basis for anti-Semitic jokes both inside and outside the Jewish community. [Alperin, Mimi. “JAP Jokes: Hateful Humor.” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 2 (1989) 412-416.. In recent years the term has been re-appropriated by some Jewish women as a term of cultural identity, especially in areas with high density Jewish populations. The term "JAP" has been used by some women in order to be identified as privileged but this manner can be offensive as it attempts to reinforce the stereotype.

exism and violence

The term "Jewish-American Princess" centers on deprecating sexism, and pejoratively brands Jewish-American women as spoiled, whining, manipulative, narcissistic, materialistic, overbearing, shallow, egocentric, scatterbrained, uninterested in sex with a false sense of entitlement [Whitney Dibo: 'That girl is such a JAP'.] While the full phrase and acronym is occasionally used wryly by Jews of both sexes as a term of Judaism, the acronym itself is considered at best fashionably vulgar if not degrading. T-shirts with the message "SLAP-A-JAP" and the stereotypical image of ethnically Jewish-American women may have been considered briefly fashionable in the early 90's. [Bigots in the Ivory Tower, Nancy Gibbs, Time Magazine, May 7, 1990] in the late 80's a Syracuse professor of sociology, Dr. Gary Spencer, noted areas on his campus that students declared "JAP-free zones." He also noted a sporting incident on campus where fans heckled women by yelling "JAP! JAP! JAP!" [Spencer, Gary “An Analysis of JAP-Baiting Humor on the College Campus." International Journal of Humor Research 2 (1989) 329-348] Spencer also mentions the "verbal violence" against Jewish women during a college fair at Cornell University where signs read, "Make her prove she's not a JAP, make her swallow." In the Cornell University student newspaper, a cartoon went on to offer advice on how to "exterminate" JAPs. [Beck, Evelyn Torton (1992) From 'Kike to Jap': How misogyny, anti-semitism, and racism construct the Jewish American Princess. In Margaret Andersen & Patricia Hill Collins (Eds.) Race, Class, and Gender. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 87-95.]

Discrimination

When researching the stereotype Jill Gregorie noted significant prejudicial and discriminatory actions toward Jewish women who fit the "JAP" stereotype, noting one woman on a college campus who went so far as to avoid contact with perceived JAPs at all. Gregorie cites one college student as saying: "If I see them in an elevator, I always wait for the next one." [Jill Gregorie. [http://www.subboard.com/generation/articles/113201236459285.asp "Princess Bitch: The public perception of the maligned"] , "Generation"] Alana Newhouse of the Boston Globe also noted housing ads on college campuses that warned "No JAPs" [The return of the JAP, By Alana Newhouse, March 13, 2005.]

Prevalence

Research has found significant levels of JAP-baiting in educational settings throughout the US. [ Student Attitudes toward "JAPs": The New Anti-Semitism. Research Report #9-89, Schwalb, Susan J.; Sedlacek, William E.] Still almost all identified incidents have fallen short of the legal definition of a hate crime. [ Hate Crimes: Criminal Law & Identity Politics By James B. Jacobs, Kimberly Potter.] There also seems to be a lesser degree of data and research-driven knowledge concerning the extent of its usage within the broader public sphere.Fact|date=August 2008

ee also

* Ethnic slurs
* Jewish mother stereotype
* Black American Princess
* Materialism
* Jewish feminism
* Kugel

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=jewish+american+princess Dictionary definition]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2005/03/13/the_return_of_the_jap/ The Return of the JAP]
* [http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1998/10/06feature2.html Monica Lewinsky]
* [http://www.amazon.ca/Jewish-American-Princess-Other-Myths/dp/1561710822 The Jewish American Princess and Other Myths: The Many Faces of Self-Hatred (Hardcover)]
* [http://www.michigandaily.com/content/whitney-dibo-girl-such-jap This girl is such a Jap.]
* [http://jewschool.com/2007/02/20/can-we-please-not-revive-that-ugly-stereotype/ Can we please not revive that ugly stereotype?]
* [http://condor.depaul.edu/~mwilson/multicult/jap.html From 'Kike to Jap': How misogyny, anti-semitism, and racism construct the Jewish American Princess. Beck, Evelyn Torton, Margaret Andersen & Patricia Hill Collins (Eds.) Race, Class, and Gender. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 87-95. 1992 ]
* [http://www.utoronto.ca/wjudaism/journal/vol1n1/v1n1gold.htm Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women: Patterns in a Feminist Sampler,Canadian Jewish Women and their Experiences of Antisemitism and Sexism, by NORA GOLD, edited by Rachel Josefowitz Siegel & Ellen Cole (Haworth, 1997).]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6049722273734911626 JAP RAP]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD61239F934A35755C0A967958260 JAP FOR A DAY]
* [http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/casting/2004_Oct_27_jap_squad Style Network Casts for "JAP Squad."]
* [http://www.beth-elsa.org/be_s1120.htm When Jokes are not funny]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEEDF1138F934A3575AC0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 Jewish Women Campaign Against 'Princess' New York Times,September 7,1987]