…e truth of the matter is Jews, Italians, and Irish were always counted as White on the U.S. census. During segregation, they drank from “White Only” water fountains, went to segregated White schools, and often had access to housing in predominately White neighborhoods. Why? Because legally they were White. Granted, they weren’t positioned at the top of the hierarchy, but they definitely embraced privileges denied to Black people. Ultimately, the caste system worked more for these groups than it did against them.
Laura M. Quainoo