ants who came to the United States in the early part of the 20th century, Jewish people had trouble finding work. Even when Jews did find work, the types of jobs that they found were in the clothing and garment industry. Jews earned very little pay, with Jewish males earning more than their female counterparts. In “The Ethnic Myth,” Steinberg cites a few “myths” as to how Jews went from being garment workers and peddlers, from being impoverished to becoming successful. Steinberg believes that these myths are correct; however, Steinberg also believes that there are other factors that contributed to Jewish success. Jewish immigrants had industrial experience and skills from their countries of origin, despite that they came from poverty. This experience occupied a need in America’s expanding industrial economy. The percentage of skilled workers who were Jewish between 1899 and 1910 far surpassed other immigrant groups (Steinberg, 1989, p. 98). In addition, the skills that Jewish people acquired were exactly what were needed at that time in the American economy. During the period when the majority of Jewish people were immigrating, the garment industry was growing at a rate two to three times greater than average for all other industries.Jewish people also had a higher literacy rate than other immigrant groups. Literacy was an essential part of their religious practices and occurred within their religious framework (Steinberg, 1989, p. 101), since intellectual achievement was their goal. This helped them in many ways, since literacy is a valuable asset for an immigrant in a foreign country. Literacy makes it easier to acquire a new language, and according to Steinberg, historical data showed that Jewish immigrants learned to speak English faster than any other ethnic group, except Swedes and Norwegians (Steinberg, 1989, pp. 98 — 102). In addition, literacy also helped Jewish people to enter b...
