Question

jewish immigration to america
the first two centuries
though not representative of americas total jewish population, some 3.5 million jews have
immigrated to america since the 1700s, speaking to a long and varied history. most are either
of ashkenazi (german and eastern european) or sephardic (spanish and portuguese) descent.

• immigration quotas: in the late 1800s and early 1900s, jewish immigration was

commonly high. however, in 1924 annual immigration quotas instituted in reaction to
world war i (1914 - 1917) severely limited immigration, including that of jews.

• depression era: immigration continued to dwindle through the 1930s due to great

depression - era policies. nonetheless, the rise of european dictators like adolf hitler
resulted in the flight of over 200,000 jewish refugees to the u.s.

• rise of israel: following world war ii, growing awareness of the holocaust resulted in

the foundation of israel, giving jews an attractive option for immigration other than the
u.s.

• flight from iran: in 1979, roughly 140,000 persian jewish refugees fled iran to the u.s.

in response to the 1979 iranian revolution.

• flight from africa: the apartheid era in south africa was marked by discriminatory

white - minority rule, creating political turmoil. throughout this time, some 12,000 south
african jews fled to the u.s. as refugees
which of the following likely possesses ancestry from
germany?
a sephardic jew
a persian jew
an ashkenazi jew

Explanation:

The text states that most Jewish immigrants to America are of Ashkenazi (German and Eastern European) or Sephardic (Spanish and Portuguese) descent. Ashkenazi Jews include those with German ancestry, while Sephardic Jews are linked to Spanish/Portuguese origins and Persian Jews to Iran.

Answer:

an Ashkenazi Jew