During the interwar years of the 20th century, Jewish immigrants and Jews born in the United States faced anti-Semitism and increasing discrimination. External pressure from anti-Semitism and discrimination has led many Jews to find themselves facing internal anxieties and conflicts over their status as Jews and their integration into American society. Assimilation during this period meant adapting to the standards of appearance, manners, and middle-class ideals of the white gentile majority. Common stereotypical images of the era depict Jews with large noses and curly hair, women were often depicted as dominant over their Jewish husbands, and Jews were often seen as manipulative, controlling, and money thieves. . Limited social acceptance of Jews occurred by completely abandoning their Jewish identity and avoiding falling into stereotypical images, which was often impossible. These external pressures and internal anxieties did not make assimilation difficult, they made it impossible. Assimilation therefore existed only as a term and not as an achievable reality. Although many Jews attempted to assimilate during the interwar period, they were unsuccessful because assimilation was an illusion, a mistake that no Jew could achieve. In the face of growing anti-Semitism during the interwar period, Jewish identity often came into conflict with societal pressures. to assimilate. Irving Howe, A Memoir of the Thirties, written in 1961, describes his experiences as a Jew in New York. In his memoir, Howe describes the living and social conditions during this decade that led many New York Jews to become involved in a sort of socialist movement. Although his memoir focuses primarily on political activities, his description of social conditions and the Jewish community provides... middle of article...... a twitch or real realization.13 During the inter- During the two wars, Jews faced many obstacles that prevented them from assimilating into American culture. Both Lewisohn and Howe demonstrate how external pressures of anti-Semitism and discrimination, as well as internal anxieties and struggles, created unshakable barriers to assimilation. The Jazz Singer also depicts, to some extent, the internal conflicts that arise because Jewishness cannot coexist alongside American ideals. Only through complete abandonment and creation of an alternative persona through blackface can one attempt to reconcile these conflicting identities. Since these barriers were impossible to overcome and were intended to keep minorities away from Americans. Assimilation was something that Jews and other minorities aspired to, but whatever their aspiration, it was not possible because it did not actually exist..