Patterns of identification and integration with jewish americans among Israeli immigrants in Chicago: Variations across status and generation

Abstract

This article examines the relationship of one set of newcomer immigrants to their potential “proximal host group” in the United States. Specifically, the relationship of recent higher status and lower status Israeli immigrants in Chicago and their children to Jewish Americans is examined. Field work, including in-depth interviews with Israeli immigrants and their children and participant observation, indicates that lower status Israeli immigrants seek to identify with Jewish Americans and to integrate into the Jewish American community. In this regard, they differ from both their higher status counterparts and the second generation offspring of both status groups who reject such identification and integration.