Excellent example Nerd, of why it is usually best to be transparent about such matters.

Not to be unduly critical of your parents and the many other immigrants who have changed their names in order to better assimilate with the dominant Anglo culture in the US. But I would disagree that all Jews changed their names exclusively for the reasons your parents perceived they were changing their names. I think many Jews changed their names to assimilate, just the the Irish and Poles and the Italians did. It was out of economic necessity. I don't attach any negativity to them doing it, nor am I judgmental about.

Nor do I think the changing of the spelling of one's name back to one's ancesral linguistic spelling of it as a means of reclaiming one's cultural identity after being raised as an assimilated WASP, is negative or cause for judgment. Many assimilated WASP sorts of people consider it to be a bit too precious, especially when they see people of Irish or Scots Gaelic identity do it, be it in Ireland, Britain, or the US. Though on the other hand, those same people don't seem to consider it too precious when Native Americans do it.

I do take your point, but I don't think there is anything to be gained by politicians not being transparent about their religious and ethnic background. And I think this perverse interest in Kerry's background is proof of that. He'd be much better off just getting his ancestral background out there, period, and be done with it. He hedges much too much on the religion and ethnicity issues, possibly because of his obvious associations as a Catholic with the Boston Brahmins who are WASPs. I dunno why he is does it, but I think it's a political mistake for him, because it is one more stupid thing that people see in him that make them distrustful of him.

If you are going to campaign on honesty and integrity, and insist that peoples' religion doesn't matter in America because we are a democracy that tolerates all religions and none, why not just tell people what your ethnic background and religion are?