When I made a comment about how cool it is that “Glee” might have a Jewish Asian character (aptly named Tina Cohen-Chang), everyone in the room [all white Jews] made a face like someone had passed gas. Funny until that comment, they were smiling or at least calm while I described how “Glee” put on an extremely funny Jewish episode.
Response from Facebook fan:
My daughter is Jewish and Asian, and as you can imagine, people will often look at her as if she’s made a joke when she tells them.
Haven't seen Glee yet, but I'd be curious to see if the Asian Jewish character's peers even acknowledge the identity, which would be ironic, since I know of many Asian Jews whose friends have no clue=)
Not sure if other Asian Jewish kehillot have a self-deprecating canon of jokes, but Filipino Jews are making their case:
What do you call a Filipino-Jew from Baguio, Philippines?
A Mountain Dew.
There were these two Jewish tourists traveling to Boracay, Philippines for vacation, post-I.D.F. shabbatical. One balmy day, they were walking along the beach resort, barefoot and thirsty, stopping to rest at a Kamayan buffet, beneath a single Palm Tree. One of them wonders, out loud, “Are there Filipino Jews in Ha'Filipinim?” Her brother replies, “Maybe!” So they request the waiter and asked if there are any Filipino Jews. The Intsik says, “Sir, I believe so, but i have to check with our Chef first, to be sure.” So the houseboy disappears into the steamy kitchen. After Filipino-time, the Chef finally comes out to personally greet the Chabad pair and answers, “Yes, sir! We do have Filipino Jews… What kind of Jews would you like? We have Apple Jews, Orange Jews, Banana Jews, Guava Jews, Pineapple Jews, Mango Jews, Coconut Jews, Jackfruit Jews, Starfruit Jews, Papaya Jews… You name it, we have it!”
=)
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huh – I totally didn't get that she's Jewish. Did I miss an episode, or is it just subtle?
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Subtle. She has a Jewish last name but they haven't explored it yet. I hope they do in the future but who knows, they went through a whole Jewish episode and didn't explore it.
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