California lawmakers pass bill allowing people to identify their Jewish ancestry on state forms
Summary
California lawmakers passed a bill allowing people to voluntarily identify their Jewish ancestry on state demographic forms. The bill aims to help gather better information on Jewish Californians to improve policies and track hate crimes, but some opponents have privacy and categorization concerns.Key Facts
- The bill would add “Jewish” as an ethnicity option on state forms that collect demographic data.
- The goal is to help state agencies and researchers understand the needs and issues of Jewish Californians.
- The bill passed the California Assembly and awaits a final vote before going to Governor Gavin Newsom.
- State agencies would be barred from sharing personal identifying information to protect privacy.
- Some opponents worry about privacy, comparing it to harmful record-keeping during the Holocaust.
- The bill allows people to identify their race separately from their Jewish ethnicity, recognizing diversity within Jewish communities.
- Agencies that might lose federal funding by adding “Jewish” as a category could opt out.
- The bill’s author, State Senator Henry Stern, is Jewish and began openly embracing his identity after experiencing antisemitism.
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